


Because I said so: Adventures in Parenting (with commentary by Peter Parker)

by Nickygp



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, May parker is the greatest, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Protective Tony Stark, breaking the cycle of shame, developing father son relationship, platonic co-parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2018-12-09 15:23:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 89,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11671821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nickygp/pseuds/Nickygp
Summary: The vulture is gone, and Peter is back to being the friendly neighborhood Spiderman. Only this time, his aunt is watching him like a hawk, because "you can get hurt Peter!" and Tony Stark is going right along with it - oh and so are all of Tony's close friends.Peter's pretty sure they're all on the shy side of overprotective but perhaps, just perhaps, he'll need to rely on Tony more than ever before as Peter comes to encounter enemies far more dangerous than Peter thought possible. But it's okay because Tony - his friend? mentor? father figure? bother figure? -  doesn't seem to mind being Peter's sword and shield.





	1. Changing the Status Quo

**Author's Note:**

> “Is there a status quo in the house?”  
> ― Stephen King

It had taken Peter four hours to get May to calm down enough to let him explain the situation. When she had finally let him talk, he had told her everything, from the spiderbite, to Tony offering a place with the avengers. She had been ready to tear Tony a new one the minute his name had come up, but Peter, being Peter, had defended the man tooth and nail and May had begrudgingly relented. 

She’d have to sort out her problems with Stark with the man himself. It wasn’t fair to Peter to badmouth the man who clearly was more than just a rolemodel for Peter. This was the first time since Peter’s parents had died that a man had come into his life to fill that role of mentor, of pseudo protector, and as much as May wanted to scream at everyone right now, she wouldn’t talk badly about Tony Stark if it upset Peter. 

Of course that hadn’t prevented May from grounding Peter for the rest of high school, basically. Surprisingly, Peter hadn’t really fought her on it. He had looked more relieved than anything. Of what May had gathered from his rambles, he had half been expecting May to never want to talk to him again, but she had quickly dissuade him of such silly notions. She adored her nephew, and wanted him safe, which was exactly why she had told him no more of that spiderman business, and it was also why she had grabbed the little card Tony Stark had given her months ago with his number. 

_ You and I need to have a few words. In person. - May  _

_ May? What happened? Is Peter okay?- TS _

_ Spiderman happened. - May  _

_ Right. I’ll be there in twenty. - TS _

_ \---------------------- _

“Before you start screaming at me-” Tony started, a finger raised near his head, his eyes looking pleading. 

“He’s a fucking child, Mr. Stark!” She barked out, looking ready to slap him. “You’re enabling a child! A kid shouldn’t run around pretending to be a superhero-”

“He was Spiderman long before I came into the picture,” Tony said immediately, half in his defense, half in Peter’s. “And he’s not pretending to be anything, May. He… he's a good kid. He has a good heart, and all he wants is to help keep people safe.” 

“And what about  _ his _ safety, huh? Who's gonna keep my Peter safe?” She seethed, her eyes welling with tears.

“ _ Me _ ,” Tony said, his tone earnest. He sighed, the worry in his eyes matching the one found in May’s own eyes. “You know, I actually did try stopping him. I took away the suit I made him, thinking maybe that really was safer.” Tony rubbed his face. “He didn't stop, of course. That's what I mean May, he isn't pretending to be anything because he  _ is  _ Spiderman. I know you want to kill me right now, but I  _ am  _ trying to keep him safe. The suit I made him has everything he might need. It lowers the chances of him getting hurt. It has a tracker and a heart monitor and a ton of different protocols meant to keep me in the loop and him out of trouble.” 

“You took him to Germany. A 15 year old, to fucking  _ Germany, _ ” she said as she stepped forward, her eyes unforgiving. “How is that trying to keep him safe? They were throwing explosive tanks in the air! That witch was there, the one that killed people! How is that keeping him safe?” 

Tony grimaced, looking properly chastised. “Believe me, I will regret that for the rest of my life. I was… desperate, and, honestly, I never thought we’d be fighting them. Our goal was to bring them in before the german government could hunt Rogers and his team down. I… misjudged how little importance Rogers would give his former team.” 

_ How little importance he would give me. _

“I pulled him aside as soon as I realized things were spiraling out of control-”

“You tried to recruit him for the Avengers!” She yelled.

“Because that's what he had been hounding me about for months! I figured if I gave him what he wanted, I could keep a closer eye on him. I’m the leader of what’s left of the Avengers. I have the power to bench him every time I think a mission is too risky. It also gives me the chance to  _ train _ him.” Tony stepped forward and grabbed her hands. He took off his sunglasses, his eyes showing a vulnerability May had never expected to see there. “You’re right, I should have never brought him to Germany, but I did. And now his safety is  _ my _ responsibility too and I can't promise you that he'll always make it back without a scratch but I swear to you I will  _ always _ do  _ everything  _ in my power to bring him back safe and sound every time.” 

“I don't want him to be spiderman,” she admitted in a whisper. “I don't want to lose him too.”

Tony sighed again. “We can't stop him May, all we can do is… protect him when he's out there. Compromise where we can, keep him near the ground.” 

May let out a sob and averted her gaze. She gripped Tony a little harder before bringing him in for a hug, more than to comfort him, to comfort herself. “I want to hate you,” she admitted “but-” 

“You wouldn't be the first,” Tony said with a self deprecating laugh. “I wouldn't blame you if you did, so-”

“I mean no I don't hate you, I’m mad at you, but… What I was trying to say is I want to hate you, but I can see that you care about him so I can't hate you.” She pulled away and raised a warning finger. “If I let him be Spiderman, he's gonna have a curfew and nights off. You’re gonna track his every movement and you  _ will  _ be there if he tries to go in over his head. And you will keep me in the loop, Mr. Stark-”

“Tony,” the man said without thinking. “I think we're long past formalities,” he amended. “I promise to text you when he's on patrol as for the rest… well that's for you to tell him, no? I mean do you want me to tell him your conditions or-” 

She shook her head. “No, no I’ll talk to him tonight. He's supposed to come home right after school, so he should be here soon.”

Tony nodded, the room suddenly feeling a little awkward. “Do you want me here when he gets here or-” 

She seemed to mull the thought over. “Perhaps it's best if you are here, you know I’ve read co-parenting books and it says a united front is always better when dealing with kids.”

Tony did not want to think about the implications of her comment. “Why have you read co-parenting books? You're not married.” 

She chuckled. “Because my sister used to have some problems with her husband so I read a few books to be able to help her when we talked, ya know?” She smiled sadly. “In the end I didn't need it because she and her husband… well, Peter ended up with me.”

Tony nodded, his face somber. “How old was Peter, when they died?” 

“He was about… seven, almost eight,” she recollected, her gaze far away.

Tony felt his heart clench painfully at the thought. He knew what it felt like to lose everything you thought you knew, but to lose your parents at such a young age, and still come out to be such a bright and good child… he truly was a better man than Tony.

“Alright, well, I’m gonna make lunch in the meantime-”

“No, no, let me get you guys lunch, at least,” Tony said, remembering the cookies she had made for him. “Peter metabolizes food faster now, so he's probably eating like a small army.”

May’s eyes widened. “Oh my god I didn't even think of that! I’ll need to start making sure he eats more. And protein! He needs more protein and vitamins. If he's running around-”

Before she could finish her sentence, Tony's watch started beeping loudly. The man looked down, groaning in annoyance. He took out his phone and gave an apologetic look at May. 

“Just give me one second,” Tony asked, before bringing the phone up to his ear. “It better be good news,” Tony barked out, his entire demeanor changing. 

It was fascinating to see Tony go from a worried, pliant almost family man to Tony Stark, chairman of Stark Industries and superhero extraordinaire. 

“What did they say?” Tony asked calmly, raising his watch up to project holograms in front of his face. “Get the redactions in, and send the information to the UN, as well as to the president, I’m sure they'll  _ love  _ to hear what Ross has been up to.”

Tony nodded at whatever the person on the line said. “Keep me posted.” 

With that he hung up, turning back to May. “Right, sorry about that-”

“Sorry, I didn't really think about the fact that you are probably busy,” she grimaced guiltily. “I was just very angry, and I wanted to talk to you before Peter got here.”

“It's fine,” Tony said with a dismissive wave. “There's no need to apologize. I wasn't that busy, I was just dealing with a few things from the accords. This was more important anyway.”

“How’s that going, by the way? Please tell me you don't need Peter to go anywhere anytime soon.”

“No, no, I’m done fighting Rogers, sort of. He's still a fugitive, but that's UN jurisdiction not mine, I’m just trying to make sure the accords are amended so that we have something a bit more workable on the table.”

“And that's going well?” She asked anxiously.

“Slowly, but yeah overall they're happy to work on changes with me. Don't worry, Peter's safe. They’re not overtly concerned with him.” 

May nodded, the man’s words easing some of her worries. “Right, okay, well that's good. That's good. Do you know if anyone knows it's him?” 

“Yes, one of his friends knows about it. Ned, I think is his name.” 

May’s eyes widened. “So  _ that’s  _ why Peter wasn't wearing clothes.” 

Tony's brows shot up. “ _ What?”  _

May started laughing. “Ned had come over one night and I hadn't heard Peter come in, but the door was closed so I figured they were building something with the legos Ned had brought. When I went into his room though, Peter looked startled and he wasn't wearing anything other than his boxers.” 

Tony rubbed his eyes and chuckled, because  _ of course  _ that would happen to Peter. And oh god, he really was a kid still. Legos,  _ fuck _ . 

“Who's this Ned kid?” Tony asked once both he and may managed to stop laughing.

“He's Peter's best friend. They went to middle school together, and he really helped Peter be a little less shy. He got him to join a few teams at school. He's a good kid, and he really cares about Peter.”

Tony nodded, unable to keep a small smile off his face. “Good, then he can keep Peter's secret then.” 

May suddenly looked very confused. “How did you know about Ned knowing. Did Peter tell you?” 

Tony shook his head. “His suit records everything he does while in it, and the feed is delivered to my servers. I go over all of it every few weeks.”

May smirked. “Does Peter know you’re virtually stalking him?” 

Tony balked. “I’m not stalking him, I’m protecting him,” he clarified defensively. “And no, well, sort of. He sort of knows. I had a tracker on his suit which he took off before I took his suit away. He wasn't super pleased, but I don't care. I put it back in, and I’m not removing the baby monitor protocol, no matter how much he bitches about it.” 

May burst out laughing. “Baby monitor protocol? Oh my god, that's fantastic. He must have been so embarrassed.” She shook his head. “Well, I’m not gonna lie it  _ is  _ a little invasive, but I'm not gonna stop you, not when you’re doing it to keep him safe.” 

Tony gave her a wink. “Don't worry I won't leak any of the embarrassing things he's said and done in the suit.” 

Maybe shook her head again. “Do I even wanna know?”

“ _ I mean…”  _ Tony chuckled as he shrugged his arms. “It's pretty hilarious to watch, but he probably doesn't want people watching, so I’m gonna say no. Don't tell him I’ve seen most of it. He’ll die of embarrassment.” Tony sat down on May’s couch. “I’ll have Karen edit the footage that is delivered to me, so that I invade his privacy less, sounds good?”

May nodded before asking “who’s Karen?” 

“I installed an AI in his suit. He called her Karen,” Tony explained, his voice warm and his eyes shining with pride. 

May smiled. She could tell Tony was very attached to his creations, so he probably loved the fact that Peter seemed to be attached to one of said creations too. 

Before May could say anything else, the door to the apartment flung open, and in walked Peter, who promptly froze at the door. 

He took a tentative step in, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. “Mr. Stark! Aunt May, I…” 

“Come sit down, Peter,” May instructed as she sat down next to Tony, leaving Peter to sit on the small coffee table in front of the two adults. “Tony and I wanted to talk to you.”

“Um, Mr. Stark I’m not sure what-”

“You don't have to call me Mr. Stark,” Tony said good naturedly. “Tony's the name. Use it.” 

“Right, um, sorry, Tony. I, uh…”

“Tony and I had a talk today, about your being Spider-man,” May explained her voice still sounding angry. 

Peter shrunk into himself. “I…”

“Tony made some valid points,” May said curtly, still not willing to let Peter off the hook. “So I’ll let you continue being Spider-Man if, and only if, you follow my conditions to the letter.”

Peter's whole face lit up at the prospect of getting his suit back. He shot Tony a grateful look and a dazzling smile before saying “of course! Anything, I mean thank you so much Aunt May. I promise you I’ll be careful and-”

“You won't go on patrol every day. You will take at least one day off during the week and your curfew is eleven pm. Don't even  _ think _ of putting on the suit during exams, and your grades  _ cannot  _ suffer because you're running around the streets at night. If Tony tells you not do something, you  _ will _ listen to him, and you’ll report to him and to me throughout the night so that we can make sure you’re safe, got it?”

“Also, if you don't mind May, I’d ask if he can come to the compound once a week, so I can look over the suit, and I can start training him a little more in depth.”

“Yeah that's fine, Saturdays are probably best, or maybe one day after school? Let me figure out a schedule and I’ll let you know,” she said with a smile. “Stop nodding honey, you're gonna give yourself whiplash,” she said as she looked at Peter's vibrating frame. She hadn't seen him this excited in a while. It warmed her heart. 

“Sorry,” Peter said with a shy grin, unable to keep completely still. 

“By the way, you’re still grounded for lying to me,” May informed her with an impassive glare. “Something you won't do again, got it?” 

“Yes, sorry Aunt May,” Peter said with a grimace as he looked away.

“Alright, well now that the hard part is done,” Tony said, standing up. He put on his sunglasses and gave a smile to May. “Ready for lunch?”

“Yeah, sure let's go,” May said, getting up to grab her purse. 

“Wait, just so I’m clear, when exactly can I get my suit back?” He asked, tapping his fisted hand as he tapped his foot, looking nervous.

“Not today, Peter. Not today,” May said in a singsongy voice as she went to the door, glaring daggers at him. “Let's go, I’m hungry.”

Tony walked right behind Peter, steering him towards the door. “Next time, maybe wait at least a day to ask her that, hmm?” Tony said, half amused, as he patted Peter’s back.

The boy groaned, before freezing by the door. “Wait, where are we going?” 

Tony frowned. “To lunch. Like your aunt just said.”

“We’re all going?” Peter said, looking surprised. 

“Yes, problem?” May asked, looking half confused, half amused. 

“No, no! Of course not, I just didn't know… I mean I didn't think…”

May chuckled. “Let's go, c’mon you have to come back to do homework.”

Peter nodded, his heart skipping a beat at the thought that Tony had made the trip all the way to Queens to talk to his aunt so that he could get his suit back. He knew how busy Tony was, and yet he had made time for Peter’s problems.

“Thank you,” Peter blurted out just as they went into Tony’s car. 

Tony nodded, not quite meeting Peter’s eyes as he said “don't mention it, kid.” 

* * *

Peter flexed his hands, letting out a happy breath as Karen spoke softly on his ear. It felt good to have his suit back. He had missed Karen. May had kept him home for a whole week before allowing him to go out again in the suit. 

“Karen, remind me at ten thirty that we’re nearing curfew,” he asked as he shot out a web, swinging down a building ten blocks away from his house.

“Of course Peter, would you like me to inform Mr. Stark that you have started your patrol?” She asked pleasantly

“Ummm, I don’t know, I don’t really wanna bother him you know? I mean he’s always super busy, and that’s why he set up Happy as my point person. I don’t know Karen, I feel like I have to show them I’m mature enough to handle it and disturbing him is probably not the best idea.” Peter chewed on his lip, unsure of whether or not it was a good idea to pour out his mind to Karen. 

“Didn’t they ask you to report every night, though?” She asked, sounding confused. 

“Yeah, I mean… yeah ok send a text to my aunt and a tiny little one to happy, ok?” Peter bargained. 

“Do you not wish me to contact Mr. Stark?”

“I don’t have his number,” Peter said as an excuse. 

“I do,” Karen provided cheerfully, not letting Peter off the hook so easily. 

“Yeah but if he wanted me to use his number, he would have given it to me,” Peter said as he perched himself at the top of a building, looking down at the currently quiet street. “It’s fine Karen, just send one to Happy please.”

“Of course, Peter. Shall I also send one once you’re back home?” 

“Uhhh, yeah, okay,” Peter squeaked out. He didn’t want Happy to be annoyed at him. Looking back, he had probably texted the man a bit more than necessary at first, and, in all honesty, he really wanted to dial down the embarrassing encounters. 

Of course, last time he had seen Happy, they had been on better terms, what with Peter taking down the vulture and helping Happy out with not losing all the prized possessions Tony had been keeping in the Avengers tower. Peter hoped he could keep that easy going relationship with the man. Of course, he knew Happy didn’t have time to answer to texts, or to read about his daily school adventures, so little by little he had stopped texting and Happy hadn’t complained, so he had figured he was doing something right. 

But May had made him promise to report both to her and Tony, so, he figured the best middle ground was a quick message to both of them with no real content. That way they would know he was out, but he wouldn’t be bombarding anyone with his stuff. 

“There’s currently a robbery going on six minutes away from your current location,” Karen informed him, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

Peter grinned. “Alright Karen, lead the way. We have bad guys to catch.”

* * *

Peter tried to fight the waves of sleepiness assaulting his senses. This was not the time to fall asleep. He had already fallen asleep once in his history class, and if his teacher caught him at it, he’d probably get detention and then May would hear about it and that meant no more patrolling, and he was  _ not _ ready to deal with May getting angry again. 

He was actually doing pretty well with the whole curfew. So far, he hadn’t missed a single curfew, but the problem was that after homework he kept staying late, either because his body was hyper aware at night, or simply because he kept waking up with the image of a building collapsing on top of him. Well, to be fair it didn’t happen every night, and he pretty much could fall asleep back after a nightmare, but it did cut his sleep short, and his teacher was so fricking  _ boring. _

Peter’s eyes suddenly snapped open when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He took it out discreetly, his heart racing slightly. There were only two people that could possibly be texting him right now: Happy or May. Ned was sitting next to him, so it definitely wasn’t him, and MJ, whom he had started hanging out with a bit more, didn’t really do texting. She just kinda appeared randomly out of nowhere with her witty one liners and was gone just as fast. 

Problem was that if May was texting the something was wrong, because she generally never texted Peter in school, and if Happy was the one texting then something was  _ seriously  _ wrong- word ending levels wrong. Peter frowned when he realized the text had come from an unknown number. 

_ Any particular reason why you’re not reporting anymore? - Unknown _

_ Mr. Stark?! - P _

_ Should I feel offended by the tone of surprise? - unknown  _

_ Also, I told you, it’s Tony - Unknown _

_ Oh sorry, I just didn’t have your number saved on my phone! And I have been reporting. Well, karen has. - P  _

_ Kid, a message saying “on patrol” and “home now”, is not reporting. - Unknown  _

_ Um, sorry I thought that was what I was supposed to do. I mean I didn’t want to bombard Happy with texts, ya know? I mean I don’t think he really liked me doing that. - P _

_ Peter, you don’t have to worry about Happy getting annoyed because you text a few messages here and there. - Unknown _

_ I’d much rather know about a lady giving you a churro than get a “on patrol” once a day. - Unknown _

Peter blushed. Fuck he had forgotten that he had told Happy about the churro. 

_ How did you even find out about the churro? I left that voice message to Happy! - P _

_ Who do you think Happy has to report to? - Unknown  _

_ Aren’t reports meant to be concise or something? - P _

_ Are you sassing me, Parker? - Unknown _

_ No! Of course not. Nevermind, ignore me (smiley face) - P _

_ Whatever underoos, point is, your reporting is currently subpar. Gotta step it up kid. - Unknown  _

_ From now on you’ll be reporting to me directly, that way you don’t have to worry about Happy being annoyed. You have my number now use it. - Unknwon  _

_ Yes, Mr. Stark. Should I text or call? Also how often do I report? - P _

_ Kid, you’re overthinking it. Call, text, up to you. You can do both if you prefer. You report every day, just like before. And no, before you say it, it’s not a bother. - Unknown  _

_ Okay Mr. Stark - P  _

_ Tony, just Tony. - Unknown  _

_ Right, Tony, yes sorry I keep forgetting. When do I start reporting? I mean I figured today but I wanna make sure - P  _

_ I can start tomorrow if you want - P _

_ Or next week? - P  _

_ Overthinking again, kid. Start today. - Unknown  _

_ Can I start later though? I’m at school - P  _

_ WHY ARE YOU ANSWERING IF YOU’RE IN CLASS? - Unknown _

_ Because you texted! I can’t just ignore your texts! - P  _

_ Point taken. Alright kid, go pay attention to whatever it is they’re teaching you. - Unknown  _

_ Yes, Tony. I’ll talk to you later! - P _

“Who are you texting?” Ned whispered, giving him a half annoyed, half curious look. “They’re gonna bust you Peter!”

“Tony was texting me, I couldn’t not answer!” he whispered back, shrugging his shoulders defensively. 

Ned’s brows rose. “Tony Stark was texting you?” 

Peter nodded, smiling at Ned’s excitement. 

“No way, that’s so cool! So you don’t have to go through happy anymore? Man, you get to talk to ironman anytime you want,” Ned shook his head, a smile on his face. “Honestly, you’re so lucky. 

Peter smiled, looking ahead at where the teacher was. “Yeah, yeah I am.” 


	2. Ned "I'm taking the wheel" Leeds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A true friend freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably."   
> \- William Penn

Peter ran out of his room, bookbag in one hand and shoes in the other. He dropped the bag on the dining room table as he jumped on one foot, trying to tie his shoes quickly.

He jumped all the way to the kitchen, tying his second shoe as he opened the fridge, keeping it open with his hip. He finally finished tying his shoe, and he looked up into the fridge, his eyes scanning the content. He grabbed a protein milk and then a banana, before running back into the living room to grab his bag.

“Bye, May! I’ll see you tonight!” Peter called out, running to the door.

“Don't forget you’re  _ not _ patrolling tonight!” She called out, stepping out of her room. “You have to go to the compound next week to check your suit, so you’re off until then.”

“But-”

“Peter,” May warned, crossing her arms. 

Peter raised his hands above his head in surrender. “Okay, okay, I’ll see you in the afternoon then,” he said with a smile before running out, knowing that if he didn't move he’d be late. 

He checked to make sure that the street was still empty before starting to run towards the subway entrance, running a little faster than what was humanly possible. He tried to keep it to a minimum, however, not wanting to get caught. The last thing he needed was people asking questions.

He heard the train pulling into the station just as he swiped the metro card, and he let out a huff, sprinting down the stairs just as the doors opened. He made it into the train just in time, and he let out a breath of relief, leaning against the train’s door as he let his body unwind. He remained standing as there were no open seats, but Peter didn't mind. He just had a few stops to go anyway. He checked his outfit once over, making sure that his jacket was not dirty from where he had left it on the trash the day before.

He had forgotten to wash his sweater yesterday and he hadn't had enough time in the morning to pull a new one and, since it was September and thus starting to get chilly, he figured it was better to put some cologne on and put the same jacket on. What he hadn't considered was his enhanced senses acting up because of the combined smell of trash and cologne.

He pulled his phone out, hoping for a distraction.

_ On the train right now, headed for school :) - P _

_ Did you eat breakfast? - TS  _

_ Oh, and your aunt texted me and told me to tell you no “shenanigans” tonight. - TS _

_ I took a banana with me. - P _

_ Yeah she told me. I already promised I’d stay home! - P _

_ A banana is not breakfast, kid. - TS _

_ I was late - P _

_ Also I never see you eat, so I’m doing better than you ; ) - P  _

_ Don't sass me, Parker. - TS _

_ Also, I’m not a superhuman, kid, and I’m older than you. So a) know better than you and b) don't need as much food. - TS _

_ Gotta go, train’s here. I’ll get a snack!  - P _

Peter smiled, not waiting for a reply as he got off the train, feeling a little happier than usual. He had no idea how his relationship with Tony had turned to this. They had gone from the occasional talk, to him reporting to the man directly, to now talking multiple times throughout the day. Peter wasn’t sure if it was him that had started bombarding Tony more and more, and Tony had just been kind enough to amuse him, or if it had been both of them sharing tidbits of each other’s day when one or the other got bored, but he was glad it had happened. 

It was still mind blowing to him that he could just…  _ text Iron Man _ . It was incredible that this privilege Tony had granted him was just… a normal thing between them by now and that they hadn’t needed to speak about (not that Tony would - the man generally avoided talking about anything he deemed “emotional’). Peter still couldn’t understand why was it that Tony Stark was so willing to be there for him, to be a friend, a helping hand, hell a role model for Peter. He was just.... Peter and Tony was… Tony was his hero, had been for the better part of ten years now.

“Hey, watch it Penis Parker!” Flash half snarled when Peter accidentally bumped into him, unaware that he had already walked into the school. 

A few girls standing behind flash snickered, watching the scene unfold from their lockers. 

Peter half blushed, giving the boy an apologetic glance. “Sorry, Flash, I, uh, was distracted.” 

“What, thinking about your new lego set Peter?” Flash mocked, raising his brows as if daring Peter to contradict him.

Peter just rolled his eyes, not willing to give in to Flash’s taunts. He turned around and walked away, feeling a bit relieved once Ned, who hand been standing somewhat nearby joined him. 

“You okay Peter? You never bump into people. I mean I thought that spider bite made you-”

“Ned!” Peter exclaimed in a whisper, glaring at his best friend. “I told you, we can’t talk about that in school.” 

“Oh, shit, yeah, sorry. Listen, you wanna come over my house tonight? It’s the last week we have off before decathlon practices start up again, and we haven’t had our Star Wars marathon this year yet.” 

Peter paled. “Practices start again next week?” 

Ned frowned. “Peter, after school practices always start like three weeks after school starts. You sure you ok?” 

Peter rubbed his face. “No, yeah, I’m fine, I just… forgot I guess. I mean, well May found out so I’ve been busy figuring out-” 

Ned froze on the spot, accidentally thwarting a young freshman boy who had his face buried in a book. He gave the stunned boy a small smile and a quick apology, patting him on the back, given that there wasn’t much else he could do. The boy had been the one to bump into him, anyways. 

“What do you mean she found out?” Ned whispered urgently, dragging Peter by the arm to walk faster to their first period class. 

“She found me wearing the suit,” he admitted with a sigh.

“Oh my god, did she flip out? Are you not allowed to wear it anymore? Can we tell everyone now that she knows?” Ned fired off, his excitement getting the better of him. 

Peter balked. “What!? Ned, no, we can’t tell anyone,” he was quick to say. “May flipped out, but Tony talked to her and they’ve agreed I can-”

“Tony? As in, Iron Man? He talked to May for you?” Ned asked, his eyes shining with excitement. “Man, that’s so cool!” Ned suddenly frowned. “Wait, when did she found out?” 

“Like, the second day of school,” Peter said as he took his usual seat, pulling out his notebook and pen. 

Ned’s frowned deepened. “You took almost two weeks to tell me this?!” 

Peter gaped at Ned, before letting out a small laugh. “Ned! Seriously? I’ve been busy man, It actually slipped my mind that I hadn’t told you.”

Ned rolled his eyes, but let Peter off the hook with a small smile. Before he could say anything else, however, the teacher called on Peter, leaving both teenagers scrambling to grasp what it was that was being said in class. 

* * *

Neither Ned nor Peter were new to Flash’s particular brand of teasing - bullying if you asked Ned - but it seemed that over the summer he had become just a little meaner with his barbs. Perhaps it was because Spiderman had stolen his dad’s car and, as far as Ned had said, Peter “knew” him, or perhaps it was because Peter kept outshining him in the decathlon team, but it felt like Flash was out for peter’s blood. Or tears. Either one felt like an appropriate description to Ned. 

In any case, Ned really didn’t like it. He knew Peter was a tough kid, considering all the times he had stood up to defend Ned, particularly when they were in middle school. Of course, Ned had returned the favor many times, but the need to protect Peter was stronger than ever. Everything was different now that Peter was spiderman. 

He couldn’t protect his best friend when he went out patrolling. It was a relieve to him when Peter needed him and he could at least help him by being the guy in the chair, but more often than not Peter went out to patrol alone. Of course, Ned knew Mr. Stark had programmed Karen to keep Peter safe, and to keep him alerted if anything happened, which really did help Ned sleep better at night, but Karen - and Mr. Stark - weren’t there to protect Peter from being bullied at school.

Peter already put his life in danger on an almost daily basis, it wasn’t fair that he also had to deal with so much crap at school. Of course, Flash didn't know that, but Ned did, and it was driving him nuts to see Peter grimace at every barbed joke thrown his way. 

Ned knew his friend wasn't one to complain, but he also knew Peter had a soft heart, and Flash’s “jokes” were beginning to reach the wrong side of messed up. Except what could Ned do? He was the one that had kind of gotten Peter into this mess in the first place. Most of his taunts involved knowing Spiderman or knowing Tony Stark - which ok that had been Peter’s fault for not wanting to go to DC at first due to the “internship” - or just making fun of Peter for “being a flake.” There wasn't much Ned could do about any of that, because Peter flat out refused to use Spiderman as a party trick - which Ned kind of understood - and it wasn't like he could prove to Flash that Peter knew Tony Stark.

“Oh my god,” Ned whispered, everything coming to a screeching halt when he realized he actually  _ could _ do something about it. 

Ned looked to the ceiling where Peter was hanging, his eyes currently closed as they waited for Karen to scan the majority of Queens given that Peter wasn't allowed to patrol that day. It was clear to Ned that his friend was already half asleep, what with the all nighters he often pulled due to his double life. He picked up Peter’s phone quietly, immediately going into his contact list to look for one Tony Stark.

Ned bit his lip, mulling over his idea one more time. He wasn't sure if Peter would be cool with what he was about to do, but then again, keeping Flash from teasing his friend was a little more important. With that in mind, Ned sent himself the phone number, hoping that he would get an answer.

_ Hi Mr. Stark! This is Ned Leeds, Peter’s friend. - N _

_ Peter Parker. - N _

_ How did you get my phone number? Is Peter okay? Where are you? - TS _

_ Oh I got it from his phone, and yeah don't worry he's fine. - N _

_ We’re at his house. - N _

_ He sent one of the little drones on patrol. - N _

_ Sorry I texted you without your permission. - N _

_ I mean this is really cool since I’m texting Iron Man, but yeah I didn't think about asking permission first. - N _

_ Ned you’re not actually sorry, hence why you’re doing it. It's fine, kid, it's not a big deal. - TS  _

_ Did Peter give you my number?  - TS  _

_ Oh no I was actually texting you to ask you a favor. It's about Peter. - N  _

_ What's up? - TS  _

_ Idk if Peter has told you about Flash? - N _

_ No, he's never mentioned him. - TS _

_ Right, well, he kind of bullies Peter. - N _

_ I mean Peter would never say anything but I know he doesn't like it, so I was hoping you could help me. - N _

_ How? You want me to make him transfer schools? - TS _

_ What? No! No no Mr. Stark that's not necessary. - N _

_ He teases Peter a lot about Spiderman and you because of the internship, and I told them once that Peter knew Spiderman. - N _

_ Long Story. - N  _

_ Anyway I was just hoping maybe you could take a pic with Peter or something? - N _

_ Idk actually I was just hoping that if we have something then Flash can't make fun of Peter about that anymore. - N _

_ How do you know this flash guy? - TS _

_ He's in our year. - N _

_ He's also part of the Decathlon team so we see him everyday. - N _

_ Sorry this probably sounds stupid to you. I didn't mean to bother you, Mr. Stark. - N _

_ Not a bother, Ned. - TS  _

_ You start Decathlon practice next week, correct? - TS _

_ Yeah, on Monday afternoon. - N _

_ Perfect, I have an idea. You’ll have to keep it on the DL though. TS _

“Ned?” Peter croaked, landing on the floor gracefully before stretching. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, looking tired. “Who are you texting?” 

“Uh…. my... mom. I was just letting her know I’ll be heading home soon,” Ned said with a quick smile, his heart still beating a mile a minute because  _ holy shit he just had a whole conversation with Iron Man.  _

“You sure? We can try to watch a movie tonight if you-”

“Peter, you look like you’re gonna pass out any second,” Ned pointed out, patting the bed. “Get some rest. Remember we start practices on Monday.”

Peter groaned and nodded, jumping into bed without bothering to change clothes . “Right. Yes, practice…. practice Monday.” He hummed, his mind jumbled by his sleepy stupor. 

Ned chuckled fondly at his friend, picking up his bag from the floor before leaving quietly, a bright smile on his face. He had no idea what Mr. Stark had planned, but he was very excited to get to help him, if it meant helping his best friend. 

On the other side of town stood a not so smiley Tony Stark, looking out the window of his new Tower. He had bought this one mostly because he didn’t really feel up to living in the same compound Rogers had lived in yet. This tower, however, was not as ostentatious as the previous one had been. Everything on the inside was starte of the art, but the outside looked just like any other building in New York, allowing for some anonymity, which was much appreciated at the moment. 

Tony stood by the window, his phone in hand, a frown on his face. He hadn’t been expecting Ned to be the one to text him, particularly not about this. Tony had had the inkling that something wasn’t quite right in Peter’s school, but the boy had avoided the subject and Tony hadn’t pushed. Now Tony knew why.

Peter didn’t like feeling like he was encroaching on Tony’s time, hence why he probably hadn’t told Tony anything, but that didn’t mean Tony couldn’t do something about it. 

“Friday, save Ned’s number to my phone, and let him know that he can contact me anytime he needs something,” Tony said. 

“Of course, boss,” Friday said, her tone knowing. 

Tony rolled his eyes. “I’m just being a pragmatist you know?” He muttered, mostly reassuring himself. He was sure life would be easier if he didn’t care so much, but the more he got involved, the more he knew he cared for the boy and his happiness.

"A pragmatist about what?" Murmured a sleepy Pepper, who had just come out of their room to check on Tony. "You ok?" 

"Yeah, no I'm fine. I was just having a late chat with one of Peter's friends,' Tony explained as he moved closer, giving her a quick peck. 

She frowned and shook her head. "I don't want to know, do I?" 

Tony chuckled. "I'll tell you tomorrow, when you're awake." 

Pepper nodded, dragging Tony back to bed by the hand. "Be sure I've had coffee before." 

* * *

“Alright team, so I know we just started practice this week, but today we’re gonna have to stay until seven, because I will be out of town starting tomorrow, and so we won’t be able to have practices for the rest of the week,” Mr. Harrington said, giving the Decathlon Team an apologetic smile. 

Ned’s eyes sparkled at that. He took out his phone quickly, and sent out a quick message, unable to keep a small smile off his face. He looked back at Peter, forcing back a laugh when he saw his gaping friend look at Mr. Harrington like he had seen a ghost.

Ned had known Mr. Harrington was going out of town, and he had relayed as much to Mr. Stark, which was why Tony had scheduled Peter’s visit for today. 

This was too perfect.

“Uh, Mr. Harrington, sir, I… uh, I can’t stay that late tonight... well can't really stay at all,” Peter squeaked out, blushing slightly when the teacher turned to look at him in surprise.

‘Why not, Flakey? Is it your hot date with Spiderman again? Or maybe you’re hanging out with Thor today. Maybe he’ll pick you up and take you off planet,” Flash sneered, shaking his head. “Honestly, why are you even in the team still? You drag us down, Parker.” 

“He has a meeting with Mr. Stark, Flash,” Ned called out, his eyes angry. 

Peter rounded in his seat to glare at Ned, his eyes wide. “What are you doing?” he mouthed, not wanting to give Flash more ammunition to tease him.

Flash laughed. “Oh, really, right because Tony Stark would waste time on a junior in high school who can’t even show up for practice.” Flash scoffed, getting up from his seat. “Why would Tony Stark waste his time on you?” 

“And how would you know what I think is a waste of time, Mr. Thompson?” Tony Stark said, from where he stood at the door, having come in unnoticed by all except one Ned Leeds. “Perhaps I enjoy spending time with a young bright man who has a bright future ahead of him, and who doesn’t have a single mean bone in his body. Perhaps I enjoy investing some of my resources on someone whom I consider to be the future.” Tony gave the kid a plastic smile as he walked past him to step right next to a flabbergasted Peter.

He clasped his shoulder, and offered his first genuine smile, giving him a small wink. It was hard keeping a straight face when Peter looked both this shocked and this excited. “You ready, Peter?”

“I, uh…” Peter tried to say, but came up blank, still unable to believe that _Tony Stark_ was in his high school.

“Did you forget I was picking you up today?” Tony asked innocently, looking back to Ned. “Weird, I’m pretty sure Ned told me he was going to remind you,” Tony said as he gave Ned a conspiratorial look. 

Ned smiled brightly at the two of them, biting his tongue to hold in a laugh when Peter’s wide eyes turned to zero in on him. 

Tony looked between the two friends, and rolled, his eyes. Ned was having too much fun for his own good. Tony looked back at Thompson and then at Peter, before deliberately ruffling Peter’s hair, making it look like this wasn’t the first time he had dared to show such familiarity with Peter. “C’mon, kid, there’s a meeting with Secretary Ross that I want to miss.”

Peter stood up then and picked up his bag, still not having emitted a sound since his failed attempt at uttering a sentence. He was pretty sure he was dreaming. 

“You’ve got your things?” Tony asked, because yes this was hilarious, but he didn’t want to come back to pick up Peter’s things. That was the opposite of the cool persona he was currently providing the kid with. 

Peter looked down at his bag and nodded, giving Tony a shy smile. 

Tony nodded. “Good, we’ll have to pass by my office first. You forgot one of your textbooks at the compound and I brought it with me but then left it at a meeting with the board. Oh and I made a few updates to my suit, so I want to test those outs. I need you to time a few things for me.” 

Peter nodded enthusiastically, still not saying anything because he was absolutely  _ sure  _  he hadn’t forgotten anything at the compound, since he had never taken his books with him there. Also, he was pretty sure Tony was talking out of his ass, because a) he never really showed peter the upgrades he made to the iron man suit since mostly they spent time upgrading the Spiderman suit and b) Tony had Friday do all test runs. That meant then that Tony was lying in order to hype up their afternoon in front of the class - well, in front of Flash more specifically - and Peter had no idea why Tony was helping him out like this. 

“Ned, send me all the info you go over today in practice,” Tony called from the door, before turning to look at Peter’s teacher, a kind look on his face. “Don’t worry his aunt will make sure he practices every day until after-school practices resume.” 

With that, Tony placed one hand on Peter’s shoulder and steered him out of the classroom, walking past a myriad of students who were also leaving for the day. He pressed Peter a little closer as he made their way to the door, walking with fast and precise steps. He could hear people whispering all around them and, if he could hear them, then that meant Peter could too, and Tony had never quite liked gossip. 

He opened the main door for Peter, gesturing with his hand for the boy to go first. Peter did so without hesitating, his eyes roaming the street to search for… ah, there it was. He walked towards Tony’s Audi without hesitation, his cheeks flaming as more and more people turned to look. 

He had never been the popular kid at school and, while he and Ned had tried from time to time to become said kids, they had never managed to and they had accepted it. So, to have people stare at him in awe now because he was getting into a car with Tony Stark was cool, yes, but also damn intimidating, because  _ what the hell was he supposed to do? _

“Relax, Parker, you’re safe here,” Tony said as he jumped into his car, driving away as soon as his hand reached for the wheel. “I assume you have questions,” Tony said, still sounding bemused. 

“Um, I…maybe, yeah,” Peter admitted, looking back at Tony. “How-”

“You should be careful where you leave your phone,” Tony started, rather ominously if you asked Peter. “Ned found my number on your phone, and texted me.” 

Peter gaped. “I’m so so-”

Tony shook his head. “It’s fine, Peter. He’s a good kid, and honestly he had a good reason to text.” 

‘What did he say?” Peter asked, a frown on his face. 

“He told me all about the classy Mr. Thompson,” Tony half sneered, his eyes hardening just a smidge. 

Peter blushed. “Oh, man, did he ask you to come? I’m sorry Tony, I know you have-”

“Bullying is not okay in my books, Peter,” Tony replied before the kid could say anything. “You know, I was teased too when I was younger. 

Peter’s eyes widened. “You? But… you’re Tony Stark!” 

“Yeah but that doesn’t matter when you’re fifteen and already in college. People don’t like it when you’re smarter than them, and they especially don’t like it when you have money.” Tony sighed, giving a side look at Peter before saying. “My old man… he didn’t really care about me getting beat up in school. He thought it built character,” Tony said sardonically, bitterness clear in his voice. “Point is… if someone ever teases you day in and day out, you have people that care, Peter. Tell your aunt, tell me, we’ll find a way to fix it. You don’t have to deal with that bullshit, okay?” 

Peter nodded, his heart coming to a screeching halt, because….  _ Because _ . “Thank you, Tony, really,” Peter half whispered, rubbing his eyes discreetly. 

“Anytime, kid,” Tony said as if it was no big deal, as if he hadn’t blown off four meetings - one of them with the head of the pentagon - just to be there at Peter’s school, as if he didn’t feel just a little less broken knowing that Peter didn’t have to go through high school alone, that he had amazing friends like Ned to help him, just like Tony had had Rhodey. “Now, I have a few upgrades for your suit...” 

Peter let Tony continue talking,a bright smile on his face. He pulled out his phone and quickly send out a message, knowing he’d have to get Ned ten lego death stars after the stunt he had just pulled for Peter.

_ Thank you, man. Thank you SO much. - P _

_ Np, bring something cool from the compound for me ;) - N _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh I hope you're liking this fic! I am hoping to have the next update done relatively soon. As always, many thanks to my dear Nina.


	3. Witch Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to know how far gossip travels, do this - take a feather pillow up on a roof, slice it open, and let the feathers fly away on the wind. Then go and find every single feather and re-stuff the pillow.  
> Rebecca Pidgeon

Tony looked down at his phone, frowning when he realized the call was from May. He looked up at the German diplomat, giving him a faint smile. “I’m so sorry, it’s a very important call, would you mind?” 

“Of course,” the man said with a kind smile and a nod. “I don’t mind waiting for a minute.” 

Tony nodded, getting up and walking towards the front door as fast as he could. May was more of a texting person. If she was calling him, the she was either furious, or something seriously bad had happened to Peter. Tony hadn’t done anything that could make her furious recently, not that he could recall, which then meant Peter had done something and now needed his help. He was dreading to fight out what. 

Tony cursed when the call went to voicemail. He immediately called her back, tapping his foot against the concrete. He looked onto the street, half glad that he wasn't in a particularly touristy area of town, which meant there weren’t as  many people around to see him. There were enough pictures of him out there as it was. 

“Tony?” May said, her voice curt. 

“May!” Tony said, sounding slightly relieved. She didn’t sound like she was crying, which meant whatever it was, it wasn’t a life or death situation. “Sorry I missed your call, I was at a meeting. What’s up?”

“Are you still at your meeting?” 

Tony frowned. “Uh, technically, yes, but I figured it was urgent so-”

“Ah dammit, I keep interrupting you,” she said, sounding annoyed at herself. “No, it’s not… I mean it is urgent, but it’s not cutting a meeting short type urgent.” 

“Just spill it out May,” Tony nagged, beginning to walk in a half circle, one hand in his pocket. “I already asked him for a minute, we might as well discuss this now, otherwise I’m gonna think of horrible scenarios and that's not efficient for anyone.” 

“It's not that big a deal, but Tony….” she sighed before saying “you went to Peter’s school.”

Tony stopped in his tracks, confusion clear on his eyes. “That's an unexpected turn of events,” he muttered. “I’m slightly confused as to why that's a bad thing.” 

“Because,” May said as if that explained everything before sighing. “Tony people saw you, they took pictures of you, they put it on social media. I mean you have to be careful Tony, I know you know how famous you are-”

“Wait, wait I’m going to stop you right there,” Tony said, motioning with his hand. “May, I know they took pictures. I knew going in that it would probably get people talking.” 

“What the...Why the hell would you do it then?” May asked, half outraged. 

“Because Peter was being  _ bullied _ , May,” Tony said, his tone brittle. “I wasn’t gonna sit back and let Peter hate every second of his high school experience when I knew I could do something about it.”

“What?” May said, now sounding distraught. “Bullied? Peter’s never mentioned that to me before.”

“Ned contacted me. They’ve been teasing Peter for a while now because it slipped out once that he knew me, or that he knew Spiderman, I’m still not quite sure which one was first.” Tony sighed. “Besides, I also did it because I can’t keep Peter a secret, May.” 

“What is that supposed to mean?” She asked, sounding slightly less angry. 

“You said it yourself,  _ I am Tony Stark _ . I’m the media’s favorite attraction at the fucking circus. I have been for forty years now. Hiding things from them is not a smart idea. You can’t hide things forever, and they will prod and search and harass you even more if you’re not smart. I’d rather release information on my own terms, in my own way, so I can set the tone and the atmosphere for the conversation, to avoid them twisting anything.” 

“But won’t it put him in more danger?” May asked quietly, sounding worried. “Tony he’s fifteen he doesn’t need that exposure.” 

Tony swallowed hard, her words jerking him back to memories long buried. Tony had been in the spotlight for as long as he could remember. He had learnt how to fake a smile and how to toss a bone to the media before he had learned how to walk properly. He had always been good at it, had always known how to perform. It hadn’t been so much a natural talent as it had been Tony learning how to mask his feelings, learning how to hide the pain of never being good enough, because if there was one thing Howard had hated more than Tony being inconvenient, it had been Tony being emotional. 

Stark men are made of iron, he used to say. Stark men are not allowed to cry. 

Tony had hated it. He had hated being on the spotlight. He had hated knowing that the media - that despicable, massive  _ force _ \- fed on his very being like a fucking leech, never giving him a moment to just  _ be.  _ He hadn’t been able to be a kid, he hadn’t been able to be a rebel, he hadn’t been able to mourn his parents, not without magazine after magazine criticizing his every move.

It had fucking sucked, and Tony definitely didn’t want that for Peter. 

But the reality was that for better or worse, Peter was now part of his life, and the fucking media circus came with the territory.

“I… I know May, it’s not ideal,” Tony admitted. “But I told you, he’s Spider-Man, we can’t keep him from danger. We can only try to manage it. Besides, it might actually be easier if people know he’s linked to me,” Tony mused, not sure whether he was trying to convince her or himself. “They’ll know he’s under my protection, and they also won’t ask as many questions if he’s seen at the compound. We can protect his identity that way.” 

“Oh god… hide the truth right under everyone’s nose? You think that’ll actually work?” She asked, unconvinced. 

“Yes,” Tony answered immediately, looking up at the cloudless sky. “I will make it work. I can promise you that.” 

May bit her lip. “Ok, I trust you Tony. Just… keep an eye on it, please?”

“Of course, I already have people making sure nothing too crazy comes out,” he assured her, not telling her that by people he meant Happy and Friday who were scanning anything and everything related to peter all the damn time.  

* * *

“Watcha got, Haps?” Tony asked as he sat back, resting his intertwined fingers atop his abdomen. “Lay them on me.” 

“They’re not that bad honestly,” the man said as he sat down on the chair in front of Tony’s desk. Happy smiled. “I like this one.  _ Tony Stark: Investing in new scientists _ . It’s got a ring to it, no?” 

Tony smirked. “So they’ve picked up the kid’s smart?” 

Happy huffed “well he  _ is _ in the Decathlon team, so him being smart is a little hard to miss.” Happy pulled out a different one. “There’s one of those  _ 10 things you need to know about Tony Stark's Protege,  _ which is mostly filled with inaccurate information, but still I made sure to seal all his school records and personal information, to avoid them snooping in too much.” 

“Thank you, Haps,” Tony said honestly, giving the man a warm smile. 

Happy picked up a different newspaper and said “Oh, by the way, Pepper told me to give them the tip. They know he’s one of your interns. She said that would give you both a credible story as to how you met,”Happy said, throwing one of the magazines to Tony.

There on the cover was Tony, with Peter a few feet in front of him, walking towards his car. The title read  _ Look who has a favourite intern! _

“Honestly this is a lot milder than I was expecting,” Tony hummed, looking relieved. “Have you  heard anything from his classmates at school?” 

“Eh, that Ned kid and the other one, what’s her name…. MJ, yeah, they said nothing too crazy,” Happy informed Tony. “She wasn’t too happy I was the one contacting her and not you, by the way. She’s got a bit of an attitude problem, that one.”

Tony smiled softly. “Peter tells me she’s very strong spirited,” he said as an explanation. “Why she wants me to contact her is the question, though.” 

“She said, and I quote, if he can face off aliens, then he can ditch the middle man when it comes to Peter’s life.” Happy shrugged.

Tony tapped his lower lip softly, feeling the sting of her words. Hell, he could have said the same thing about Howard. He hummed noncommittally, before saying “keep me informed if anything happens.”

“Boss, have you talked to Peter?” Happy asked, half worried half curious.  “Yes, of course, he still has to report to me every time he goes out on patrol,” Tony answered without thinking. “Apparently the churro lady found him again. This time she bought him an empanada, which he was a little too excited about. I need to talk to May about maybe feeding him more.” 

Happy rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I’m talking about, Tony,” he said, looking both exasperated and fond at the same time.

Tony raised his brows innocently. “You’re gonna have to be more literal then, Haps, because I just answered your question.” 

“Have you talked to him about this,” Happy explained as he tapped the newspapers impatiently. 

“Uh…. no?” Tony said, getting up to pick up one of the smoothies he now brought to work. “Listen, I’m pretty sure that if Peter wanted to talk about it, he would have brought it up already. That kid talks about  _ everything.  _ Besides, we have the situation under control so it’s not-”

“You’re babbling,” Happy said, unfazed. “Something’s worrying you.”

“No, Haps, I’m just allergic to these types of sticky conversations,” Tony said with a saccharine smile. “Now leave it alone so both you and I can work, and keep me informed of anything else the media says about our young padawan.”

Happy did a mock salute and nodded, standing up then to leave the room. It was clear something was bugging Tony, but he didn’t want to talk about it, which was fine. Happy didn’t need Tony to talk to him. He could just enlist Pepper’s help. She would get the man to talk, no problem. 

* * *

Pepper tapped the pen she was holding against her full red lips “We have the charity ball next week, but if you want, we can squeeze in that meeting-”

“Boss, there’s something you should see-” Happy started, stopping short when he realized Pepper was also in the room. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” 

“What happened?” Pepper immediately asked, her mind going into problem solving mode.

Happy looked between the two before stepping closer, dropping the magazine and newspaper covers on Tony’s desk. 

“News aren’t so mild anymore,” he half growled. He had a protective streak over Tony a mile wide, and Peter, after everything he had done, was now also on the receiving end of Happy’s protective streak. "It's un-fucking-believable. One week. They needed one week to turn nasty." 

Tony immediately grabbed the papers, reading them over quicker than most people could possibly hope to read. What he read made him see red.

_ Stark's "Protege" and Fast Cars _

_ 10 reasons why Stark’s intern is better off elsewhere _

_ Peter Parker: Loyal intern or greedy opportunist?  _

_ Does Tony Stark Have A Protege or A Dirty Little Secret?  _

Tony threw the covers to the floor, his nostrils flaring with anger. “How fucking dare they,” he growled, fisting his hands. “That kid is more brilliant than any of these assholes combined and ten times the man any of us ever could be. If anything the Stark name doesn’t deserve him,” he ranted angrily, scrunching up the cover and throwing it into the garbage. 

It was one thing to come after him, but to blaspheme Peter’s character? To dare say that Tony would keep Peter - brilliant, sweet, lovely Peter - a secret, was  _ not _ gonna fly. 

“Right,” Tony said, his voice icy cold. “Right, this is where the bullshit ends. Pepper-”

“I will take care of it,” She said before he could say anything. “Don’t worry about it. You go talk to Peter and his aunt. I will make sure this is all taken off the stands.” 

“We’re suing them,” Tony said, his tone breaching no arguments. “Make these assholes an example of what happens when a minor is involved.”

Pepper squeezed Tony’s hand and nodded. “Of course, I’ll have our team write the demand.” 

Tony stood up carefully, feeling like the slightest thing could set him off right now. “No, I’ll deal with the legalities, you deal with ending these articles.” 

Pepper nodded, feeling a pang of pity for whatever company it was that wrote the damn articles. She knew her fiance well enough to know this time, he was coming for blood. 

* * *

“Rhodey bear, I thought you were pretending to be allergic to technology for another week,” Tony said as he drove up to Peter’s block, looking for parking. 

“I was, but then I read the newspaper and figured I should probably check in with you real quick since they were talking about some illegitimate son of yours two days ago and now they’ve gone radio silent. Oh and I hear you’re suing magazines left and right,”  Rhodey said pleasantly, his unspoken question hanging in the air.

“I’ve got it all covered, sweet cheeks, no need to worry,” Tony said as he transferred the call to his phone from the car. 

“Tony… is that kid Spiderman?” Rhodey asked, sounding slightly apprehensive. “I knew he was young but-”

“I know,” Tony said with a sigh. “I know. He’s a good kid, Rhodey. A  _ really _ good kid.” 

“I still can’t believe that in the three weeks I’ve been gone you already started a media frenzy,” Rhodey said, huffing out amusedly. 

“To be fair, I didn’t start this one, I am just putting the fire out. Also, it’s not like your presence suddenly means the media is not on my ass twenty four seven,” Tony said conversationally as he walked up to Peter’s building. “Anyway, I have to go, Rhodey bear, I’ve got things to do and places to be.” 

“Wait, Tones, we have to set up a dinner date. I need to meet this kid,” Rhodey said before Tony could hang up

Tony frowned, stepping into the elevator. “Rhodey, you already met the kid.” 

“No, Tony, I met Spider-Man,” Rhodey deadpanned, unamused. “I have not met Peter Parker, and I sure as hell haven’t met him as my godson.” 

Tony stepped out of the elevator, putting his hand against the wall to keep himself standing upright. “As your  _ what?!”  _

Rhodey chuckled. “Well since this is your kid, that makes him my godson.” 

Tony spluttered, freezing near Peter’s doorway. “Rhodey he is  _ not  _ my kid. At best I’m the cool family friend.” 

“Whatever you say, Tones,” Rhodey said, chuckling softly. 

“I am being se-” Tony gaped when he heard the line disconnect. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered with a half laugh, looking with surprise at his phone before smiling at his friend’s quirks. "This is what happens when I let you go for longer than a week," he muttered, shaking his head as he continued to stare at his phone. 

“Tony?” Peter asked with surprise as he stepped out of the elevator, backpack still in hand. “I didn’t know you were coming over today! You haven't replied to my texts in like two days. I mean not that you have to, I-”

“Sorry Peter, I’ve been a bit busy these past two days,” he said with a grimace. “I lost track of time and forgot to answer. Is your aunt home?” 

“She’ll be here soon,” Peter said with one of his shy smiles, opening the door for the two of them. “So, how come you were so busy? Not that… I mean it’s totally fine if you’re busy I was just curious to know-”

“I was putting out the media fire,” Tony said with a tired smile. “I actually wanted to apologize. I knew going to your school would cause a bit of a commotion, but I thought that if I introduced the chaos before they could create it on their own-”

“It’s okay, Mr. Stark!” Peter was quick to reassure the man, giving him a soft smile. 

He had actually thought about talking to Tony about all the headlines he had been seeing for the past few days, but he hadn't been sure exactly what to say. There were rumours going around his school that he was Tony’s long lost son - which he hadn't dissuaded because he was more afraid of people knowing he knew they were talking about him. He was hoping that by ignoring it the problem would go away, but that didn't change the fact that Peter had  _ no clue  _ what he was supposed to do and he also didn't want to bother Tony. The man had gone to Peter’s school to help him out, for crying out loud. It didn't feel right to also swamp him with this problem.

“I mean, some of the stories I read were pretty nasty,” Peter admitted at the unimpressed look Tony was giving him. “But I mean it’s not like you published them so-”

“No, but I should have intervened sooner,” Tony said, sounding angry at himself. “You shouldn’t have to deal with-”

Peter stepped closer, patting Tony’s fisted hand. “I really am okay, Mr. Star. Besides, they’ve totally stopped. I mean really I checked today and suddenly there’s just-” Peter suddenly froze his eyes widening. “Oh my god. Was that you? Did you shut everything down?” 

Tony raised a brow. “You’re making it sound like a bad thing.” 

“No! No it’s a great thing I just… I didn’t know a person could do that,” Peter said, sounding more than a little impressed.

Tony huffed out, giving Peter an indulgent smile. “Kid, I’m Tony Stark, I’ve been dealing with bullshit like this for years. Of course I know how to shut it down.”

Peter chuckled and nodded, tilting his head to the side. “Thank you… Tony.”

The man frowned “for what?” 

“For coming to my school and for mopping up this mess so that I wouldn’t have to deal with it.” Peter blushed and shrugged. “That’s… I don’t know, that’s a lot of effort and time you’ve spent on me that I don’t think I can repay, so.... “ Peter shrugged. 

“Don’t be silly. I don’t do anything with my time that I don’t want to do. There’s nothing to repay because nothing has been given,” Tony said, itching to change the subject. “Anyway, that doesn’t really matter right now. What I do want to know is how did MJ get my number? She’s been texting me random articles from psychology journals for hours now.”

Peter gaped at the man, unable to do anything more than chuckle, because of course MJ would do something like that.  _ Of course _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It might take me a little longer than usual to give you chapter 4 since I have to update my post cw fic next. I hope you're enjoying it!


	4. War Machine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The older I get, the more I realize the value of privacy, of cultivating your circle and only letting certain people in. You can be open, you can be honest, and real while understanding not everyone deserves a seat at the table of your life."

Rhodey picked up his cup of coffee, and looked down at the latest news of the friendly neighborhood Spiderman, feeling like he had missed quite a bit in the weeks he had been gone.

He had been in Washington for the past few weeks, at Tony’s request. The man had finally begun moving the pieces to really amend the accords, but he needed an insider to make sure everything happened according to plan. And Rhodey - a top military man who had saved the president on occasion and who also happened to have close friends in the pentagon - was the man for the job. 

Rhodey had met with the President himself, knowing that if he wanted the US to pull it’s weight behind Tony, they would need him to agree. The meeting with the president had led with meetings with a number of diplomats and senators which Rhodey had abhorred, but had done it anyway to get Tony’s plans in motion. It had worked brilliantly - so brilliantly in fact they had offered him a position as liaison between the US and the UN for this particular matter.

Of course the man had declined. He was still recovering from the injuries inflicted upon him in the battle against the now fugitive Avengers. Thanks to Tony, he was back up on his feet, but they both knew he needed a lot more training to be combat ready, and Rhodey was pushing himself harder than ever before to get there. 

With everyone gone, Tony needed him now more than ever, to help protect Earth. 

What Rhodey hadn’t been expected, however, was that amidst the rubble, a kid would appear. Tony had brought Spiderman to Germany where they had been tasked to apprehend Steve and his team before Ross could kill him. Of course, Steve had brought more people than expected and, once the little dude that could turn into a big dude had thrown that gasoline tank, everything had gone to shit.

Rhodey hadn’t expected to hear from Spiderman again, mostly because when the boy had gotten hurt in Germany, Tony had taken him off the fight. The boy hadn’t meant to get hurt. Hell, no one had meant to get hurt, that was exactly why they had gone in themselves before they could send in kill squads, and heavy machinery. 

But he was apparently back, soundly staying under Tony’s wing. Rhodey knew his friend, and he knew he had a weakness for kids, and - now that he knew just how fucking young Peter was - it made sense that Tony had stayed in the kid’s life after Germany. He probably felt directly responsible for the kid now, which meant Rhodey had to keep the kid safe too. 

There was one little problem though; Tony was still as emotionally constipated as ever. It would be nearly impossible to get the man to admit to Rhodey just how much he cared for the kid, which in turn meant he would probably squirm at the idea of having a nice dinner where Rhodey could meet the kid and see him interact with Tony. 

That didn’t mean, however, that Rhodey wasn’t curious about the kid, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to wait around for Tony to introduce him. If a kid was going to be a permanent fixture in their lives, then Rhodey at least had the right to get to know the kid, thank you very much. 

“Sir, we’ll be landing in ten minutes,” The air hostess said, snapping him out of his reverie. 

The man smiled softly, and nodded. “Will the car be ready by the time we get there?” he asked politely. 

The woman nodded quickly. “Of course, sir, the car is already waiting there, at Mr. Stark’s request.” 

Rhodey nodded, and smiled softly, looking out the window. A part of him wanted nothing more than to get to New York and drive straight to the compound to hug his friend and check him over to make sure he was still in one piece. He knew, however, that today was the perfect opportunity to meet Peter without Tony being able to interrupt or cut their meeting short since the man himself was stuck all day in meetings, and Rhodey wasn’t stupid enough to not take the opportunity by the horns. 

* * *

“I think if we do the project today, we might still have time to - Oh my god,” Ned stopped right by the entrance to the school, grabbing Peter by the arm. 

Peter looked with surprise at Ned. It wasn’t usual for his friend to stop talking, much less stop so close to the door when everyone was trying to get out to go home. Peter followed his line of sight and gasped, unable to believe his eyes. 

There, by the school gates, stood Colonel James Rhodes, looking as badass as he did in the poster Peter had gotten years ago, where the man was standing next to Tony in his war machine suit. The man was wearing aviator sunglasses, and a leather jacket that accentuated how well built he still was. He seemed to be scanning the crowd, for what Peter wasn’t sure. 

Finally, the man’s eyes landed on him, and he smiled for the first time since Peter had seen him, and raised a hand to wave at Peter. Peter tried not to gape as he made his way down the stairs and to the man. He had no idea why the colonel was there. Tony had told him the man was in Washington, and, while Peter knew the man was supposed to come back today, no one had told him the man was going to be  _ showing up at his school. _

Ned followed Peter quickly, unable to contain his excitement. “Oh my god, why didn’t you tell me War Machine was coming to pick you up?!” 

“I didn’t know!” Peter half whispered, half snapped, looking nervous. They finally reached the man and he offered him a tentative smile. “I… good afternoon, Colonel sir,” Peter stammered out.

The man’s smile softened and offered his hand. “No need for the formalities, Peter. You’re a friend of Tony’s, so that makes you a friend of mine, and all my friends call me Rhodey.” 

Rhodes didn’t explain to Peter that this wasn’t exactly true. Tony had been friends with the avengers, but Rhodey had never truly liked them, and so he had never offered them to call him anything other than Colonel Rhodes. He wasn’t one for hypocrisy, and being chummy with people that made him want to punch a wall was, to him, the definition of hypocrisy. 

After shaking Peter’s hand, Rhodey turned to look at the boy standing next to Peter. “And who might you be, young man?” 

Ned half gaped at the man with an excited smile as he realized War machine was really speaking to him. “I’m Ned, sir. I’m a friend of Peter’s. I… it’s an honor to meet you.” 

Rhodey smiled at him, offering Ned his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ned. I trust school is going well?”

“Yeah! It’s been a fun year so far. We started Decathlon practice recently, so it’s starting to get busy,” Ned answered simply with a smile, which Rhodey returned.

“So is it like a thing now that random famous superheroes are picking you up from school?” MJ asked as she appeared seemingly out of thin air, giving Rhodey a curious look.

Peter jumped, not having heard the girl. “MJ!” 

“Cool sunglasses,” the girl told the man, seemingly unfazed. “You know, I’m not super pro military, mostly because half the time we’re getting involved in wars that don’t concern us and just get people killed, but you are pro accords, and I always see you protecting people. So I’m gonna assume you’re not that bad.” 

Rhodey’s brows shot up, but he smiled after a few seconds, surprised at the girl’s spunk. “Thank you, I suppose.” 

Peter gaped at his friend, nos even sure whether he was mad at her or not. “Right… um, Rhodey sir, I’m… I didn’t know you were coming here, today. Did something happen? Is Mr. Stark okay?” Peter asked quickly, because while thinking of Tony getting hurt literally made him want to throw up, it was the only explanation he could think of for Rhodey being there at his school.

God, he could feel people staring already. 

“He’s fine kid, don’t worry. I’m here because your old man thinks he can hide you from me,” Rhodey says with mischievous smile. “But I’ve been friends with that asshole for the better part of thirty years, so he can’t be sly with me. Now come on, we’re going for lunch. You can come too if you wish Ned, and you too, miss.” 

Peter gaped at the man, sure that he had misheard. 

_ What the hell did Rhodey mean with his old man?  _

Ned shook his head with a deflated look. “I promised mom I would be home early today, but it was awesome meeting you!” He patted Peter’s back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, ok? Call me if you need anything,” Ned said before running off, not wanting to be late. 

MJ looked at the two and shrugged. “Honestly, I would be too awkward to go with you, so I’m just gonna go to the park. There’s a protest happening next week, so I have to catch up on what I need for that.” She waved in passing, squeezing Peter’s shoulder before walking away, catching up with Ned relatively quickly. 

Peter watched his friends leave, still feeling slightly tilted by the man’s words. He didn’t know how to ask the man to explain it to him more thoroughly without embarrassing himself. Rhodey, unaware of Peter’s internal turmoil, turned to open the car door, moving to the side to let Peter in first. 

“You ready?” Rhodey asked. “Oh, crap, I haven’t talked to your aunt. Would you like to call her first?” 

Thar seemed to snap Peter out of his reverie. “No, it’s fine, I’ll text her right now,” Peter offered, before getting into the backseat of the car, Rhodey following soon behind. 

Peter shot a quick text to his aunt explaining that no, he wasn’t going on patrol right now, but rather he was going out for lunch. He was pretty sure she wasn’t going to say no, considering this meant he wouldn’t have enough time to personally patrol as much tonight. 

They rode in a partially comfortable, partially uncomfortable silence where Peter had no idea what he was supposed to say, and Rhodey seemed to be too busy thinking exactly what it was that he wanted to say to this kid whom he hadn’t really met before. 

Peter wasn’t quite sure how long they were in the car, but, after what felt like at least a half hour, Rhodey finally turned to Peter and said “so, you wanna tell me how is it that you became Spider-Man?” 

Peter gaped at the man, thrown off by the question. “How do you-”

Rhodey raised a brow, looking unimpressed. “I was there in Germany with you. You really think I can’t put two and two together?” 

Peter blushed. “Sorry, I just… sorry.”

Rhodey chuckled. “It’s alright, Peter. I wouldn’t have found out if I hadn’t seen Tony take an interest in you. Of course, I was privy to the knowledge that Spider-Man was very young. No one else knows that, so you don’t have to worry. Your secret is safe.” 

Peter nodded, looking calmer. “Thank you, Mr-”

“Rhodey,” the man reminded, Peter. “So, how did you become Spider-Man?” 

Peter smiled. “I got bit by a spider,” he admitted with a chuckle. “I don’t know what they did to that spider, but it… I don’t know I woke up the next day and I had powers.” 

Rhodey nodded. “And so you decided it was time to join the spandex onesie team?” 

Peter giggled. “I guess.” He shrugged. “I was coming home one day, after I had been bitten, and… well I saw someone was trying to steal from this old lady, so I ran over to help her and the dude tried to stab me but I just… was so much faster than him,” Peter said, his eyes distant as he recalled the memory. “She was so thankful for my help, you know? And I realized… these powers meant I could help people.” He shrugged. “It just felt wrong to sit back and do nothing when I knew I could help now. It just… if I didn’t do anything, then it would have been on  _ me _ .” 

Rhodey’s breath hitched at that and he turned to  _ really _ look at the boy. He took in the perfectly combed hair, and the nerdy t-shirt, with his baggy sweater, and the iron man sticker Peter had probably not realized someone - probably that MJ girl - had stuck on his back, and God, Peter reminded him of Tony. He sounded so much like the man, when Tony had first become Iron Man. Rhodey could see why Tony had decided to keep the kid close. He was like breath of fresh air. A superhero that hadn’t been broken by the darkness of the world yet, that hadn’t been betrayed, that hadn’t lost it all again and again and  _ again _ . 

Rhodey could see why Tony was protecting him so much, could see why Tony felt personally responsible. Tony saw himself in the kid; a softer, kinder, less scarred version of himself - and Tony clearly wanted to protect that at all costs.  

“That’s good kid,” Rhodey said honestly, clearing his throat. He breathed out in relief as he realized they had finally arrived. “C’mon this place has amazing burgers,” he confided as he opened the door of the car. 

He left it open for Peter to get out, which the boy did promptly, thanking the driver before closing the door. He followed Rhodey into the small, yet quaint restaurant, smiling at the hostess that showed them to their seat. He noticed that Rhodey had chosen a particularly secluded corner of the restaurant, clearly not wanting to be recognized. 

The hostess left two menus with them after welcoming them, her eyes shining a little too bright as she obviously recognized who Rhodey was. The man didn’t seem to notice however, as his attention was on Peter. 

“So, Peter-”

“Hi guys! My name is Rachel and I’ll be your waiter this afternoon. Could I get you started with some drinks?” A young woman said as she approached their table, oblivious of the fact that Rhodey had been asking Peter something. 

“Do you have IPAs?” Rhodey asked as he turned to look at her, seemingly not upset at being interrupted. 

“We have one of the ballas point,” she offered. 

“Great so I’ll have that one,” Rhodey said before turning to look at Peter with an expectant look. 

“I’ll… have a diet coke, no ice,” he said with a smile. 

“Awesome, I’ll be back with a minute with your drinks and to take your order.”

Rhodey thanked her in passing, before turning his attention back to Peter. “So how’s school, Peter?” 

The boy seemed slightly surprised by the question. “It’s good. It’s a little… stressful, because I patrol at night,” Peter said, having no clue as to why he was sharing so much with the man.

“Don’t let your studies slide in order to patrol,” Rhodey advised him. “Patrol might be important, but so is school.” 

Peter nodded. “I mean, my aunt doesn’t let me patrol after eleven o’clock, and I have to have my homework done before I leave.”

“You look tired though, so that means either you’re staying out patrolling longer  or you are staying up after patrolling,” Rhodey noted, his voice holding no judgment.

Peter flushed. “Sometimes… it’s hard to sleep,” he admitted. 

“Have you talked to Tony about this?” He asked just as the waitress arrived with their drinks. 

“Are you boys ready to order?” She asked pleasantly. 

“I’ll have a bacon burger,” Rhodey said as he handed her the menu. 

Peter froze, realizing then that he hadn’t even looked at the menu. “I’ll have the same thing,” he said quickly, handing over his menu too. 

“You should talk to Tony about it,” Rhodey encouraged once the woman was out of hearing range. “I’m sure he can help you if you’re having a hard time getting yourself to wind down enough to sleep.”

Peter shook his head. “Mr. Stark already does so much for me, I really don’t want to bother him,” he said quickly. “I’ll be okay, it’s just… getting used to some stuff,” he said evasively. “It’s not affecting my grades, though.” 

“This isn’t about your grades,” Rhodey explained calmly. “This is about your health, which as far as I understand, Tony cares very much about.” Rhodey mulled over a thought before saying “Tony has trouble sleeping too. He’s always been a very light sleeper, even when we were in college, but after he came back from Afghanistan… he didn’t talk much about it, but I saw him avoid sleep for a very long time. And then New york happened and… well a lot of things came with that. Now I don’t know why it is you can’t sleep, and you don’t have to tell me, but I would encourage you to talk to him. If there’s anyone that’s gonna understand what it’s like to not be able to sleep, it will be him.” 

Peter swallowed hard and nodded, still not sure whether he was going to follow the man’s advice or not. The last thing he wanted was to be a burden for Tony.

“How did you meet Mr. Stark?” 

“We met in college,” Rhodey said with a nostalgic smile. “He was fifteen when I met him, and he was on his second semester of college at MIT. He was an asshole to everyone he met, that was his way of protecting himself,” Rhodey explained. “But he was my roommate, so I made it clear that that shit wouldn’t work on me. We hit it off pretty fast. I was in the aerospace engineering program, so we would stay up at night, and I would help him build new things while he helped me with research projects that I was heading.”  

Peter smiled, picturing the two men hunched over half formed plans and brilliant models of god knows what. “Did you ever blow anything up?” 

“Oh god, we once almost blew our building up,” he admitted with a laugh. “Tony had to pull in some big money from his father to keep us from being expelled. Howard wasn’t very happy.” At the mention of Tony’s father, Rhodey’s eyes turned cold and angry. 

“The Ned kid,” Rhodey suddenly said, changing the topic. “Does he know your secret? And the girl? ” 

Peter nodded. “Yeah, he knows. She doesn’t.” he admitted. “He’s the only one aside from my Aunt and Tony that know.” 

“And he helps you?” Rhodey asked, his eyes serious. 

Peter nodded. “Yeah he’s my guy in the chair.” 

Rhodey’s brows shot up and he dug his nails deep into his skin to keep himself from bursting out laughing. That was the cutest, most innocent thing he had heard so far. “I am glad, kid. It’s always good to have someone on your corner,” Rhodey said once he was sure he wasn’t going to start laughing.

The food arrived then and Peter grinned at the delicious smell. He grabbed a fry and bit into it, sighing happily. Rhodey smiled at that simple happiness the boy exhibited. The boy’s smile reminded him of Tony’s own whenever he invented something new. 

This kid was ridiculously easy to like. 

“Has Tony been good to you?” Rhodey asked, waiting for Peter to chew and swallow. 

“Yeah, he’s amazing. He made my suit!” He said excitedly. “He also came to my school the other day, and he just… we talk everyday,” Peter confided, his eyes warm and happy. “He’s really awesome. He helped me solve a math problem the other day. It was a little embarrassing, but I did great on the test once I got it.” Peter shrugged, once again feeling surprised at how willing he was to overshare with the man sitting next to him.

He didn’t know why, but there was just something about the Colonel that made him easy to trust. Perhaps it was because Tony spoke so highly of him, or because Peter had fought alongside him once before, or because the man just radiated safety despite his currently fragile state. Whatever it was, it made Peter want to share bits and pieces of him with Rhodey.

Rhodey smiled at Peter’s words. “Good, I’m glad you two talk. He’s a mess sometimes, but… he’s the greatest man I have ever met, and he’s a genius so it’s always fun to see what he comes up with. One thing though, and I’ll talk to him about it, don’t let him rope you into another big mission. I know we didn’t know that Germany was going to end up being a big mission, but still.” 

“Oh don’t worry, he benched me as soon as we came back, and I… well I kinda finally get why,” Peter smiled as he scratched the back of his neck. “Him and Aunt May are pretty good about keeping me near the ground.” 

Rhodey nodded, seemingly pleased. “Good, that’s what I was hoping for.” 

“Mr- Rhodey, may I ask you something?” Peter asked after a few minutes of companionable silence where they ate.

“Of course,” the man said as he cleaned his mouth with a napkin.

“How come you came to my school today? Did Mr. Stark ask you to check on me or something?”

The man shook his head. “Tony doesn’t even know we’re here,” he admitted with a devilish grin. “I’m sure he’ll find out soon enough since, knowing him, he has a tracker on both of us.” 

Peter gaped. “He has one on the suit, but-” 

“Do you own a starkphone?” Rhodey asked, sounding bored.

Peter nodded, pulling it out. “Mr. Stark gave it to me a while ago.”

Rhodey nodded. “Then you have a tracker on you,” Rhodey deadpanned. He pulled out his own phone. “You can try to be sly and think he doesn’t know exactly where you are and what you’re doing on a daily basis, but then you would only be lying to yourself.” Rhodey shrugged. “He’s OCD about safety, especially when he’s not around to make sure you are actually safe. He probably doesn’t know yet because he’s busy today, so my bet is that he hasn’t had time to ask Friday about our whereabouts, but I have no doubt that by the time I get to the compound tonight, he will have a list of questions ready to fire at me because I met with you.”

Peter gaped. “Isn’t that a little… too much?” 

Rhodey chuckled. “I don’t think you understand how much he cared about you, kid. It’s very hard to get Tony to open up,” the man admitted. “He doesn’t trust people, and he doesn’t let them in. He has been betrayed too many times to not be careful. You can count the number of real friends he has with one hand. So, when he finds someone good, someone he can trust and that he actually gives a shit about… then he’s gonna go all in, no questions asked. And he will never tell you just how much he actually does for you,” Rhodey warned him. “ _ I _ still don’t fully know all the shit he does for me, and I’ve known him for thirty years.” Rhodey shrugged. “He… can seem cold and uncaring at times, but I can assure you… no one will ever care as much as Tony Stark.” 

Peter looked down at his plate, his heart half racing in his chest. He wasn’t sure what to make of that. A part of him could suddenly actually feel the unconscious pressure that was on his shoulders, because fuck, if he really thought about it, so many people had deserted Tony, had lied and cheated and who knew what else. He couldn’t let the man down. He just couldn’t afford to do that. Another part of him just couldn’t help but be elated at the idea that Tony cared so much about him that he spent so much of his time and resources to make sure he was okay. It was a heady feeling to think that Tony Stark - his childhood  _ idol _ \- was personally invested in his life, in his growth, in his happiness. And another part of him, the part that he refused to accept for fear of it breaking him, wondered if it was okay to let go and truly see this man as the father he had been robbed of when he was a child. It was a thought he didn’t dare dwell on, for he was sure he was putting too much hope onto something Tony had probably not even considered.

Still, it was nice to know he was important enough that Tony’s best friend had sought him out on his own accord, just to see who it was that Tony was mentoring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It didn't take me as long as I expected. Hopefully I will have the next chapter up soon! As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated.


	5. Parent-Teacher conference

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents”   
> Jane D. Hull

“So, anyway, I had to call this woman this morning to get her date of birth, which just… I mean what the hell, I’m trying to get the article done in time, but she just keeps delaying me because god forbid I find out how old she is,” May complained as she stepped out of her closet, two dresses in hand. “Okay, which one do you think looks nicer?”

“I love how you are asking me, as opposed to one of your girlfriends,” Tony said, sounding amused as he looked up from the paperwork covering his desk. He blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the light emanating from the hologram. 

May pointed a finger at him “why isn't your light on? You’re gonna lose your eyesight, you idiot.”

Tony smiled and clicked something on his watch, making the light turn on instantly. “Happy?”

She shook her head with a smile, and then extended her arms, drawing attention back to the two dresses. “So, which one?” 

“What are you picking one for again?” Tony asked, finally leaving his paperwork aside to give May his complete attention. 

May rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. “Peter’s parent teacher conference is coming up,” she explained. “They do it twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. They’re not that informative, to be honest, since we have like two hours to run around the school to find all of his teachers, and since there's so many parents you get like five minutes with each teacher, but still,” she shrugged, “I like knowing if his teachers are assholes or not, you know?” 

Tony nodded, feeling a pang of pain at her words. His parents had never attended those conferences. Howard was always too drunk or too busy, and Maria… well, Maria was usually busy with Howard’s dinners and affairs. He was glad Peter had his aunt. In the month and a half that he had been communicating - almost daily - with the woman, he had come to see just how ridiculously devoted she was to her nephew. 

She knew everything there was to know - even things Peter was not aware she knew. She was an incredibly intelligent woman, and an observant one too. Tony very much enjoyed every single one of their conversations, not only because she gave him an insight into Peter he wasn’t able to get from the boy himself, but because of all the random tidbits he got of her life. 

For example, he now knew how she liked her coffee - just like Tony; dark and burning hot - and he knew too how much she enjoyed having the half hour of her commute to just observe people on the subway. He knew about the woman May had written advice for just a few weeks ago, and he knew about the man going through an identity crisis. He knew May didn’t like her boss that much, and he knew that he was not allowed to interfere by transferring said boss to a different location. He knew May had taught Peter everything she knew about photography, and he knew what their favorite places to take pictures were. He knew she had trouble sleeping when she thought Peter was not in his room, and he knew she  found cooking to be a relaxing activity. He also knew she had no idea she was actually a terrible cook. 

It was refreshing for Tony to talk to someone that was just so brutally honest, and openly receptive. May had nothing to hide from him, and had everything to share. She, unlike him, had not been tainted by the world beyond repair. She was just as exuberant as Peter, and as happily - naively - hopeful as him. 

Sometimes, it was hard for Tony to understand them. 

Not even Harley, who by now was a quickly growing teenager in his own right, had been that overwhelmingly positive and just…  _ pure. _ Harley’s reality had been very different. He like Tony had been forced to grow up at a very young age. He had been young and good and curious, but he had been  _ jaded _ . He hadn’t, and still didn’t, trust the world - and Tony could understand that; he could work with that.

Harley had remained steadfastly in his life; both happy to be in each other’s orbits while still holding some semblance of distance. Tony was there when the boy needed him, he provided for Harley and his family, but he wasn’t  _ there _ every day. And for whatever reason, Harley seemed to prefer it that way. He cherished every second he did spend with Tony, but he had learnt how to go by without a father long before Tony had arrived, and opening up again had not been something he was willing to do, not fully. And so it worked, keeping some distance while still knowing there was an unbreakable bond them was enough. It was good. It was  _ them _ . 

But May and Peter… they were different. They went all in - and that was new for Tony. He didn’t exactly know how to handle being this deeply involved in someone else’s life, particularly when that someone else was a kid that looked at him for guidance. 

Still, he loved talking to them. Their pureness was exactly what he needed and so here he was, talking about parent teacher conferences and the right dress for it. 

“I think the black one might be a little too eye catching for a parent teacher conference,” Tony mused, finally snapping out of his reverie. 

“Yeah, I thought so too, but I wasn’t sure.” May sighed. “Well, that one’s definitely a no then. Peter has the same teacher he had last year for his science class, and that man hits on me every time he sees me,” she complained. 

Tony raised a brow. “Have you asked him to stop?” 

May shook her head. “What if he gets offended, and it affects Peter negatively?” May shrugged. “I don’t like the guy, but I don’t want to make things hard for Peter either.” 

Tony pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly not liking the fact that May couldn’t do something about it. “Would you like me to go with you?” Tony offered, not even thinking about the fact that he probably already had a busy schedule. 

May’s eyes widened in surprise. “You would do that?” 

“I mean… yeah?” Tony fidgeted with his pen, clearly uncomfortable. “I mean, look, you know I care about you and Peter so... “ he shrugged. “I get to keep creepers away from you and I get to meet Peter’s teachers, doesn’t sound like a bad combo.”

“Won’t you be busy that day?” May asked gently. 

Tony smiled. “I’m sure I’m busy. I’m also sure Pepper can handle it without me. She would probably prefer me to help you than to go to another event, to be honest.” Tony shrugged. “I’ve been pretty good about attending each and every event for the past, what, maybe six months? So yeah, missing one isn’t a big deal.” 

May beamed at the man. “Oh that’s awesome, thank you Tony! We’ll have so much fun. I will introduce you to everyone. Oh, we’ll probably see Ned’s mom there! I know you were curious about her.” 

May suddenly turned back as she heard the door open. “Oh, I think Peter’s here. I have to go. I promised him I would take him and Ned to the movies tonight.” 

Tony nodded, sitting up straight. “Have fun, send me or Pepper the details of the conference, and I’ll pick you up.”

May nodded distractedly before waving goodbye, the call disconnecting just as she stepped out of her room, Peter’s voice carrying through the room. 

* * *

“Oh crap, I forgot to tell Peter you were coming with me,” May suddenly said as she looked away from the window to look at Tony. 

Tony raised a brow as he himself turned to look at her. “Is he going to be here?” 

May shook her head. “Not really. He’s meeting us at the entrance later with Ned and his mom. They were going to watch a movie while the parent teacher conference happens, since they get bored at these things.” 

Tony nodded, chuckling softly. “Do you want to tell him now or-”

May suddenly began laughing “I can’t wait to see his face when he sees us,” she said once she was able to stop laughing. “It’ll be great.” She looked out her window again and took a deep breath. “Alright, we’re here. Let’s get this party started.” 

Tony smirked but nodded, removing his seatbelt and opening the door in one fluid motion. He stepped out with the grace he had perfected over the years and he held the door open, waiting for May to come out. 

“How the fuck do you become that smooth?” She asked curiously as she saw him put his sunglasses on, his back straight and his chin tilted up. “It’s like you exude money and power. You should give lessons, I’m sure people would totally want to learn your tricks.”

Tony chuckled. “I’ve been in front of cameras since I was in diapers. You pick up a thing or two once a few decades past,” he said simply, offering her his arm. “Ready?”

She smiled mischievously. “I can’t wait to see people’s faces. We’re about to show them platonic co-parenting done right,” she teased, laughing at Tony’s shocked expression. “Oh come on, at this point, we should just form a club. We should call it the PCP.” 

Tony’s brows furrowed. “Do I even want to how you came up with that?” He asked as he opened the door to the school, holding it open for May to go first, while absolutely refusing to think of the implications of him being a parental figure to Peter. 

“See there’s a ton of married couples in the school,” She explained “but there’s also the divorced ones. The divorced ones feel left out by the married ones and then you have the ones like me, that aren’t the actual parents.” She shrugged. “They tend to be… less gracious towards the ones like me because they assume the parents are fuckups and that’s why you’re stuck with the kid,” she lowered her voice as they made their way to the staircase, aware that people were starting to notice who exactly was standing next to her. “However, they can now stare pityingly all they want, I know for a fact a lot of their marriages are a mess. Meanwhile here we are, two grown ass adults that care about the same kid despite the fact that he’s not ours, who are taking an active role and who actually can have a healthy relationship with said kid.”

“You’ve given this a lot of thought,” Tony commented, as he stepped past a parent that was openly gaping at him. “Which puts you on my level of creepy, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.” 

May laughed, hitting him in the ribs. “You’re an idiot,” she informed him as she grabbed him by the elbow and led him into one of the classrooms. “Okay, this should be his calc teacher, so the line is gonna be long.” 

The signup sheet was indeed already almost full, much to Tony’s chagrin. “Do we wait here the entire time or-”

“No, we go sign-up for all the teachers and stay for the ones with few people. We keep track of the time sheets, that way they don’t skip you over. Don’t worry, I have a system,” she confided as she wrote down Peter’s name and then her own name. “Let’s go.” 

She grabbed him by the hand and they took off, running around the - fucking  _ large  _ \- school for almost half an hour as they signed up for the different teachers. 

“Oh, they have a really short list on this one!” She exclaimed excitedly as she signed up to go next. 

“Which one is this one?” Tony asked as he caught his breath. Leaning against the wall as they waited to be called. 

“It’s his photography professor,” she said excitedly. “Peter loves her.”

“May Parker?” An woman said after a few moments as she popped her head out of the classroom. Her face looked young, but her hair was silver, which made her look older than her years. 

May raised her hand to catch the woman’s eye as she and tony made their way to the door. “Hi! Are you Mrs. Berg?” 

The woman smiled and nodded, her eyes widening slightly when she saw Tony. “yes, please come in,” she told them both, closing the door behind them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I assume you’re Peter’s legal guardians?” 

“Yes,” May answered before Tony could contradict the woman. They came to sit in front of her desk, where she had a few photographs stacked. “I’m actually really glad you came. I was hoping to show you these,” she said with delight. 

She passed them the pictures, watching with a smile as Tony took in the pictures, his eyes unable to hide his shock.

One of the pictures was of May drinking coffee in front of her computer, her eyes lost on the screen as she submerged herself in her world of writing. The other was a picture of Ned and MJ, both sitting side by side, MJ with a book in hand and Ned with a bag of twizzlers, both seemed to be talking pleasantly. The last picture was of Tony; more specifically, of Tony in his workshop, hovering over his own suit as he fixed one of the chest plates. He looked disheveled and was partially covered in grease, a steaming cup of coffee sitting to the side. He was wearing baggy pants and a black a-shirt - a radically different look from his usual playboy persona. Tony had one hand extended, looking like he was beckoning the photographer closer, either that or he was expecting to be handed something.

Tony remembered that day. Peter had come to visit a few weeks prior just after Tony had returned from a UN-sanctioned mission, where, for better or worse, the fight against the Hydra goons had led to one of the chest plates breaking. He had been fixing it when Peter had arrived. He hadn’t even noticed the young man taking a picture, too preoccupied with the work at hand.

“Where did you get this?” Tony asked softly, hiding his emotions as best he could as he looked up. 

“Peter brought them in. The first project for the terms was to take three pictures that encompassed places, objects or people that made you feel happy or safe. It’s a good exercise to get the class to warm up with one another, since we often ask them to explain why they chose those particular pictures.” The woman smiled at Tony, her eyes warming even more when she looked at the picture again. “Of course, everyone was very interested in the picture you’re holding. Some people thought he had taken it from stock pictures or something like that. But I guess you’ve just disproven that theory,” she teased.

“They’re beautiful,” May said, smiling at the two pictures she was holding. 

The woman nodded. “He’s an extremely talented photographer.”

May beamed, looking proud. She nodded. “We’ve been practicing together for a long time. He was a natural though. I should probably get him a new camera. He’s been using one I had that’s ten years old, probably. I’ll have to-”

“I’ll take care of it,” Tony said with a pat to her hand. “I’ll talk to Peter. We can go shopping for cameras on Friday, or I can make one.”

May looked at Tony, holding back a laugh. “Of course you would.”

“I was actually hoping he could join the photography club, or the school newspaper. We need more people like him there,” the woman said, looking expectantly between May and Tony.  

May’s face fell a little. “I’ll… ask him. He has a lot of extracurricular activities, and he also works at Stark Industries as an internship, so I don’t know if he can add anything else to his schedule.” 

Tony winced, feeling slightly guilty. “I don’t think he’ll want to cut the internship,” he said, sharing a knowing look with May, “but perhaps band practice? He wasn’t super enthusiastic about going back to band. However, he does love taking pictures.” 

May hummed, “he mostly did it to spend more time with, Ned, so they might be willing to move to photography toge-” May suddenly froze as she looked at her watch. “Oh gosh, we have to run if we want to make it to the physics appointment.” 

“The one on the third floor?” Tony asked, immediately standing up. 

May nodded. 

Tony hummed. “You stay, finish your conversation with this lovely lady,” Tony said with a winning smile directed at Peter’s teacher. “I’ll go talk to his physics teacher, and I’ll meet you in front of the AP US history class to talk to that teacher. Sounds good?” 

May half gaped at him. She hadn’t realized he had been paying such close attention to the order of times in which they had signed up for. She didn’t, however, fail to notice the fact that he was going to go talk to the teacher she had complained about alone. He was helping her by making her avoid that awkward meeting altogether. Finally she nodded, giving him a grateful smile. 

Tony gave a nod to Peter’s teacher, before walking out in four confident strides. 

“He’s not at all what I expected,” The woman said before she could think better of it. 

If May was surprised, she didn’t show it. “I think almost everyone that has met his has misjudged him at first, mostly because we’ve all heard so much about the eccentric and mighty Tony Stark that we forget he’s an actual human being.” May smiled, her eyes finally tearing away from the door. “He’s a good friend, but, above all, he’s  _ a good man _ .” 

The woman nodded, looking back at the picture Tony had left behind as it hadn’t been his to take. “Peter cares an awful lot about him. He has brought a lot of pictures of the man, or of things that remind him of him. He rarely shares them with anyone but me,” the woman admitted. “It’s strange… it’s like he’s not willing to admit just how much he cares. He tries to play it down, dismiss it, but I don’t understand why.”  

May nodded. “They both do that,” May said with a sigh. “They’re both men and they both clam up when feelings are involved. Still, they…. have grown very close but yeah we don’t really talk about it. Tony’s the first man that has stepped up in Peter’s life since his father died.” May shrugged. “Don’t tell Peter I told you.” 

The older woman chuckled, but raised her right hand. “Well their secret is safe with me. Besides, I care an awful lot about your nephew, so it it a relieve to see him well cared for - even if it’s an unspoken thing.” 

May smiled happily at the woman. “Well, since you’re clearly close with Peter perhaps you can help me help him open up,” May suggested, a mischievous smile on her face. 

\---------------------

Tony walked up the stairs easily, brushing past people without staying long enough for them to recognize him. He looked around once he reached the third floor, not having had the time to truly look around before. He walked past a myriad of lockers, freezing when he reached a long mural at the end of the hall. 

There, on the mural, was his father’s face, looking a lot younger than Tony remembered. He clenched his jaw, bitterness, anger, and illogical longing all hitting him straight in his heart. He had had no idea a picture of Howard had been painted in Peter’s school, not that it really surprised him. It was a specialized school for the sciences, of course they would have Howard up there somewhere.

The man had been a fucking shitty father, and even a shitty person at times, but no one could deny just how much he had contributed to his own field, and how much he had donated to various scientific fields. 

Tony wasn’t sure what he wanted more, to tear down the mural or to cry as the memory of his father and his mother dying at the hand of the winter soldier accosted him. He had hated the man growing up. He had hated the fact that he had loved Howard - still did, no matter how much he denied it. He had hated the fact that he had wanted his approval, his praise - two things the man had solely reserved for dear ol’ cap. 

He stood there for a litle while longer, a part of him wanting nothing more than for Howard to rise up from the grave even if for just a minute to see tony now. He wondered, briefly, what the man would think of him. 

What would he think of Tony dismantling his weapons empire? What would he think of Tony appointing a - fucking  _ amazing _ \- woman as his CEO? What would he think of Tony donning the suit? What would he think of Tony parting ways so completely with Howard’s dear fucking captain? What would he think of Tony being involved in the lives of not just one but two teenagers - albeit just slightly. 

Hell, he knew he wasn’t as involved as a proper parent would, but he sure as hell was far more involved than Howard ever had been. At least on that, he was sure he had surpassed the sorry excuse he had had of a father. 

Finally Tony turned away, unable to keep looking at Howard’s cold eyes. Despite it all, he had grieved the man for years. He was still grieving him and his mother. He would always grieve them, no matter how angry he was. 

Howard had been a mess, but he had still been Tony’s father, and that had to count for something. 

Tony sighed and finally began walking again, concentrating once again on the task at hand. His job was to talk to the physics teacher. His job was to be there for Peter for as long as he could, in whatever way he could.

* * *

“Fucking finally,” May groaned as they stepped out of the school into the chilly night. “My god, that took forever, that last parent wouldn’t shut up.” 

Tony chuckled. “Welcome to my world,” he said simply, offering his arm to guide May down the steps.

“Yeah, I don’t envy you,” she said as she scanned the crowd. “Oh there they are!” She said happily as she grabbed Tony by the hand, dragging him to where Peter and Ned were standing. 

“Boys!” She called rather loudly once they were close enough for them to hear. 

They both turned, freezing to their spot when their eyes landed on Tony.

“Mr. Stark?” Peter asked, momentarily forgetting to call the man by his first name as the shock of seeing the man in his school on a parent-teacher conference night left him momentarily stumped.

“What’s up kiddo,” Tony said easily, casually sliding his hands into his pockets, his causal, almost disinterested look directly clashing with the fact that he had attended a parent teacher conference. 

“What… are you doing here?” Peter asked, looking between his aunt and Tony. 

May shrugged. “PCP rules, Peter.” 

Tony suddenly burst out laughing at her comment, easily accepting May’s high five without having to look at the woman. 

Peter kept looking at them like they had grown a third head. The last thing he had expected was to see Tony Stark here. “I don’t get it.” 

Tony shrugged. “You don’t have to,” Tony said easily, taking off his sunglasses. “We forgot to tell you I was coming, just like you forgot to tell me you went to lunch with Rhodey,” Tony said sharply, giving Peter an unimpressed stare. 

The boy gaped, clearly not having expected Tony to bring that up, especially since that had happened almost three days ago. 

“He told you?” He asked softly, not sure whether he was supposed to apologize or not for not having told Tony he was going for lunch with Rhodey. 

The man shook his head. “No of course he didn’t,” tony said, the  _ he knows me well enough to know I don’t need to be told  _ went unsaid. “Now, c’mon, I’m hungry. We’re all going for dinner.” 

Peter frowned, catching up to Tony quickly before asking “you’re not mad?” 

Tony raised a brow. “Why would I be? It’s not like you went behind my back to do some risky irresponsible thing. Rhodes is my best friend, Peter, and, more importantly, he’s the responsible one out of the two of us. If anything, I was relieved. I thought he was going to talk you out of doing patrol, but I guess he had no such luck,” Tony teased, just as they reached the car. 

Peter smiled then, looking back at Ned and his Aunt, who had been talking quietly behind them as they made their way to Tony’s car. 

“You coming, Ned?” Tony asked, giving the young man an amicable smile. 

Ned sighed, longingly looking at Tony’s car. “I wish. I’m still waiting for my mom to get out.” 

Tony nodded in understanding. “We could wait for her if you wish?” 

Ned shook his head. “No, it’s alright Mr. Stark. You should go ahead.” Ned leaned to the side, giving his best friend a quirky smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?” 

Peter nodded, still looking both confused and like he was living inside a dream. He had no idea why it was that Tony was here. He knew how busy the man was. It made no sense that he had come to a parent-teacher conference - one that Peter had never mentioned to him, mind you. “See ya tomorrow, Ned,” he said finally, giving his friend a hug before he jumped into the back of the car. 

He looked out the window as Tony pulled away, the soft purr of the car making Peter smile as the bubbling warmth and a somewhat novel sense of safety he had by now come to associate with Tony covered him, leaving him content to stay quiet as his aunt’s laughter washed over him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I grew up in NY and thus went to high school here. In NY, we have parent teacher conferences all throughout high school. I based the sign up system on the system my own school used when I attended. 
> 
> I hope you're enjoying the fic!


	6. Meeting Pepper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You take away all the other luxuries in life, and if you can make someone smile and laugh, you have given the most special gift: happiness."   
> \- Brad Garrett

Pepper  disliked the many balls and social events they had to attend for SI as much as Tony; however, she, unlike her infuriating fiance, generally whined about it less. Of course, Tony was mesmerizing to watch once they actually got to whatever event they had to attend. The man drew up  the dazzling persona he needed for the evening and, as much as she hated watching the man she loved disappear behind a mask, she couldn’t deny how brutally effective Tony was. 

Hence why she preferred when he went with her. It was much easier to cover a room between two than when it was just her. However, all thoughts of fighting the man for his time left her the minute she heard the words “parent teacher conference”. It was one thing if it was a meeting, or Tony wanting to tinker the night away, and another very different when he had to be there for Peter.

Pepper still hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting the young man Tony had taken under his wing, mostly because schedules didn’t match and she wanted Tony to be able to open up to the boy in his own terms. However, hearing that Tony was attending the parent-teacher conference changed everything. 

He could wax poetic about how he was only doing it to help May fend off devious teachers, but Pepper knew him better than that. If Tony was willing to go to such a personal event without cracking jokes, without shrugging it off, then this was more than just a kid he had taken under his wing. Tony had a million and one traumas when it came to Howard; he would never then hurt a child if he could help it. That meant then that, whether he had admitted it to himself yet or not, he cared about Peter much as if the boy was his own. 

That then meant Peter would be a permanent and irreplaceable fixture in their lives - a very much welcomed one, of course. 

“You called, Pep?” Happy said, snapping Pepper out of her reverie. 

“Yes! Happy I need you to do me a favor. Can you bring Peter over after school today? I wanna have a quick chat with him. Make sure to keep it low profile. We don't want to embarrass him at school,” She said with a knowing smile.

It hadn't escaped her notice that Tony  _ and  _ Rhodes had already dropped by the school before. She didn't feel like adding more recognizable faces to that fire. It would only make her job of squashing rumors harder. 

If Happy was surprised by her request, he didn't show it. He gave her a quick nod and a smile before saying “Will that be all?”

“Yes, Happy, thank you,” she said as she stood up and followed the man to the door, picking up a folder on her way out. “Oh could you take this to Tony? Don't leave him alone until he signs everything in there. I have a meeting right now so I can't make sure he signs it. Poke him with pen if you have to.”

The man snorted but nodded, taking the folder from Pepper’s hands. “Don't worry Pep, leave it to me.”

* * *

Pepper looked up from her computer, a small smile playing on her lips when she noticed the bright eyed boy currently looking around, outside her office. His eyes, strangely enough, reminded her of Tony. 

He had the same curious twinkling that lit Tony’s eyes every time he went down to his workshop. It was an endearing sight, if she was honest. Just from the way Peter moved, clumsily but  _ full of life _ , she to see why Tony was so attached to this boy. 

She stood up then, and walked to the door, startling the boy as he had been about to knock. “Hello Mr. Parker,” Pepper said kindly, holding back a laugh as he tried controlling his surprised expression. 

“Oh Just Peter is fine,” He said without thinking, causing him to blush slightly. “And, um, ah, Good Afternoon Ms. Potts. Um, It's a pleasure to meet you,” Peter stammered out as he extended his hand to shake Pepper’s hand. 

He had not been expecting Happy to pick him up today, and he most certainly had  _ not _ expected Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries, to schedule a meeting with him.

Honestly this was becoming like a freaky episode of the Twilight Zone where virtually every couple of days another superhero or well known public figure showed up at his school. It was giving him quite the reputation, which, honestly he was not sure he appreciated because he was just meant to be Peter. He was just the nerdy kid that liked to build gigantic lego sets who, lo and behold,  just so happened to secretly be Spiderman hence why he was now surrounded by the coolest people alive. And that was kind of the problem - he couldn't tell anyone why Tony was now interested in him. To the world - or at least to those on his world - he would always be Penis Parker. And Penis Parker shouldn't be hanging out with  _ Tony Fricking Stark.  _

Perhaps that was why, deeply buried under a rock called denial, Peter loved it so much. It was kind of nice to know kids now thought him cool, simply because Tony Stark  _ cared _ and if he cared then clearly Peter wasn't as much of a loser as everyone thought.

And, yeah, he loved being spider man and he loved helping people while hiding behind that other part of himself most people weren't interested in, but it would have been silly to deny the fact that he also loved hearing people talk about how much  _ Tony _ cared about silly little him. 

“Well aren’t you a gentleman,” she praised as she confidently shook his hand, snapping him out of his thoughts. “But there's no need for the formalities. You can call me Pepper.” He motioned for him to get in, so she could close the door behind him. “I apologize for the impromptu meeting,” she started as he headed back towards her desk. “I’m also sorry I didn’t pick you up in person, but I figured you could do without the added publicity.” 

Peter flushed bright pink but nodded. “Yeah, no I mean, you don’t have to pick me up. I was actually a bit surprised that you called.” 

She nodded in understanding, before crossing her hands in front of her on the table. “How was your day, Peter? Not too busy I hope? I wouldn’t want to keep you from your responsibilities.” 

The boy half gaped, thrown off by the sudden change of subject before saying “uh.. It was fine.  I had a physics quiz today, which wasn’t all that bad. I forgot we had it actually, but Ned and I had been talking about the topic a few days ago, so I remembered most of it. Oh and we had a decathlon practice during lunch since our teacher isn’t available tomorrow,” Peter recounted, relaxing back into his seat. 

There was something about the warmth in Pepper’s intelligent eyes that made Peter relax easily. Just like with Rhodey, he felt he could just  _ talk  _ to her, and he still had no idea if it was because he unconsciously knew they were linked to Tony, or because on their own right, they were trustworthy. 

Probably a bit of both.

“Well that sounds fun,” she commented with a happy smile. “Did you know Rhodey was part of his decathlon team? Tony did it for a while too when he went to college, but he was too smart so some of his team members managed to get him kicked off the team.” 

Peter sat up at that. “What? Why would they kick him off? He’s amazing! I mean if he was the smartest, wouldn’t they rather keep him in?” 

Pepper smiled, surprised to see Peter so ready to defend her fiance. “Well, people were jealous of him, and, because he was just fifteen when he started college, it was easy for them to argue that he was too young to be part of the team.” Pepper shrugged. “It wasn’t all that bad, though. Rhodey was his roommate so he quit the team too and they ended up making their own robotics club, so things worked out for the better.”

Peter smiled at that. “I didn’t know he was in a robotics team.” 

Pepper hummed. “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about Tony yet,” she said good naturedly. “But don’t worry, stick with me and you’ll learn all the juicy embarrassing stories about him that you can use later to tease him.” 

Peter chuckled, surprised at the offer. “I’m pretty sure Tony wouldn’t like me teasing him.” 

“You’d be surprised,” she said with a wink. “He doesn’t mind some good old ribbing if it comes from those that love him, and, unless I am very much off the mark, you care about him.” 

“Of course I do. Mr. Stark is awesome!” Peter was quick to reply, grimacing internally because dammit he needed to start controlling the fanboy in him. 

That made Pepper smile more broadly. “That, he is,” she agreed. “Well, I don’t want to keep you for long, I actually called you because there were a few things I wanted to give you.”

Peter’s brows shot up, and he sat up even closer to the edge of his seat, clearly curious as to what this incredible woman could possibly want to give him.

She chuckled at his excitement, turning to her right. She opened the first drawer on her desk, picking out a small white envelope. She passed it over to Peter, who immediately turned it over, excited to open it. 

He looked up at Pepper then, raising the envelop slightly to catch her eye. “Can I?” He asked, not sure whether he was supposed to open this here or at home. 

“Of course, go ahead,” she said with a quick wave of her hand, her attention waning slightly as she picked up a report she had nos seen before. 

Peter finally opened the envelop, frowning slightly when he came face to face with a long, black and gold electronic card. “Um… I’m not sure what this is,” he admitted, blushing slightly.

“It's an entry card,” she explained as she pulled one out from her purse. “It will give you full access to the tower.”

Peter frowned. “I thought Tony sold the Avengers Tower,” he said, sounding slightly confused.

“He did,” Pepper confirmed. “However, he still wanted to have a manhattan presence outside of the SI office, so we bought a - smaller - building. It doesn't have his signature logo, since it's meant to be off the radar, but it serves the same purpose the tower did.”

“Does anyone know of the tower?” Peter asked curiously.

“Not many people know of it, no. We’re keeping it on a need to know basis, mostly because I want to keep it as a safe space since the new team is just starting to rebuild,” she said, her eyes hardening as the memory of finding Tony battered and bruised with his ribs shattered after his encounter with Captain America flooded her with bitterness.

“Is Tony okay with me having this?” Peter asked as he shuffled in his seat, his eyes still glued to the card. 

“Of course,” Pepper said, her eyes softening. “He cares an awful lot about you, Peter. If there’s one person he would trust with that key is you. The tower has anything you might need - from a snack to a lab to fix or change anything on your suit. If you’re injured and you’re near, it also has a med bay, so that you don’t give Tony a heart attack from worry. Tony also made a room for you there in case you need to crash there at any point,” she informed him. 

Peter gaped at the woman, not believing his ears. “He made me  _ a room _ ?”

Pepper raised a brow, clearly surprised by his own surprise. “Peter, you have a room at the compound as well,” she said slowly, as if unsure whether the boy was privy to this information. “You think he would make you a multimillion dollar suit and not design a room for you as well?” She asked, letting out a soft chuckle.

“I… I mean he made suit because it allows me to help people but-” Peter suddenly stopped talking and flushed, clearly feeling like he had already said too much, which was probably true because a hint of understanding reached Pepper’s eyes. 

For some inane reason, the boy clearly didn’t understand just how much Tony cared. He believed Tony’s connection to him was there solely because he was Spiderman. He didn’t see - or refused to see - that Tony didn’t actually care about Spider-Man, not the way he cared for Peter -  the actual person within the suit. He didn’t see that when Tony had started making the suit, after having watched a silly video on youtube, the man had never once thought about the fact that that was a potential superhero - rather he had thought there is someone out there brave enough to put their life on the line to protect others now how can I help him? 

That had then morphed to oh my god this is a fifteen year old whom I feel personally responsible for, how do I guide him? Spiderman was just one of the ways Tony was willing to guide him. 

And while Pepper, who knew Tony better than the man knew himself, understood this, she didn’t know how to make Peter understand. 

“Peter, you come before the suit,” she said eventually, her eyes intent. “ _ You _ wanted to help people, so he gave you the means. You could decide to stop being Spider-Man tomorrow and instead concentrate on becoming, oh I don’t know, a college professor, and Tony will still be there, probably talking to MIT no less, to train you.”

Peter let out a shuddering breath, clearly not having been prepared to hear the too-good-to-be-true words coming out of Pepper’s mouth. “Uh…”

She shook her head, not waiting for a response. This was something Peter would have to wrestle with himself. She couldn’t convince him of the truth staring at him in the face. She already had one emotionally constipated person in her life: she knew how the drill worked. 

She pulled out another envelope, and passed it onto Peter. “This is also for you - and your aunt.” 

Peter frowned, and took the envelope, opening just like before, only this time his reaction was a harsh intake of breath and wide eyes. “Oh my god, Mrs. Potts, I could never take this,” he said immediately, trying to hand back the envelope. 

“Nonsense, you are an SI intern,” she said easily, “and we don’t have unpaid internships here.” 

“But… this is way too much,” he pressed, trying again to hand back the envelope. 

Pepper, who had her hands on her knees, merely raised a brow. “It’s no more than you’ll need to pay for your schooling, and perhaps a few years of rent to help your aunt - who has been doing an admirable job of taking care of both of you for years, by the way,” she praised, as she stood back up. 

“But-”

“Peter, if I don’t give this to you know, then Tony will once you hit college. I’m just jumping ahead so that your aunt can concentrate on the book she is writing, which she told Tony about,” She explained gently. “Tony has more money than he can possibly spend in a lifetime Peter, and spending it on people he loves is his bread and butter. So, don't try to give it back, because it won't work,” she said with a wink, finally opening the door to his office. “Now, I do hate to cut our meeting short, but I have a meeting with the board of directors in ten minutes, so I have to run.”

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry, I didn't mean to keep you-”

“You didn't,” Pepper immediately responded calmly. “I was the one that did not check with you about your schedule and asked you to come meet me. If anything I should be the one apologizing.”

Peter closed his mouth then because  _ yeah okay she had a point.  _ “Ms. Potts, I really don't think I should be taking-”

“Pepper is just fine, and you most certainly can. It is a gift freely - and happily - offered. Now run along, don't forget to give the check to your aunt. It's already on her account but it's good to keep a record.”

Peter almost choked on thin air, reeling at the implications. The check was just a symbolic show of something Pepper and Tony had already decided to do to help him and his aunt. And, no matter what he said about how this was  _ too generous what the hell _ , it didn't seem like they were going to listen. 

“Thank you  _ so much _ Pepper,” he said finally, his voice rough with emotion. “It means a lot to me.” 

Her expression once again softened. She walked closer to him, bringing her arms around him in a warm hug. “I know this may sound corny, and you may not get it, but  _ you’re family now, Peter _ .” 

The boy didn’t answer, couldn’t answer, so he chose instead to hug the woman close, both grateful for her words and yet refusing to accept them, because… because things like that didn’t happen in his life. 

He had lost his parents when he was young, and the only person in this whole world that had been there for him since then was May, with her weird jokes and bad cooking skills. And that… that had been okay, it had been more than enough. He was used to relying on his own. He was used to not having many friends, and being the outsider, so to now hear that the fiancee of the man he had looked up to since he could remember considered him family… that they both might consider him family… well it was just a bit too good to be true, and he much preferred to err on the side of caution than to get hurt. 

“I’m sure I’ll see you soon,” the woman said finally. “Happy will take you home, okay? Have a good rest of your week Peter.”

Peter pulled away then, giving her a soft nod. “You too Ms. Potts.”

Pepper watched him leave, not even bothering to correct him. He would accept them when he was ready - if he ever was ready.

* * *

Pepper woke up with a start, realizing belatedly that the reason why she had woken up was because her phone was vibrating like crazy on the nightstand. She picked it up without looking and answered, trying to keep the sleepiness off of her voice. “Hello?” 

“Ms. Potts?” A loud female voice said on the other side, followed by a loud bang. “Oh, shit! Wait hold on a second,” the woman said, as she pulled away from the phone. “Right, sorry about that. This is May Parker.” 

Pepper, who had been about to hang up because just  _ no,  _ suddenly perked up, forcing herself to open her eyes again. “Oh, Ms. Parker, how are you? I have heard so much about you from Tony!” 

“Oh god, hopefully good things,” the woman said, laughing awkwardly. “I was actually calling to thank you. Peter… Well, I just got home and Peter told me about everything you gave us today and I just… I mean I stand by what he said, this is too much but-”

“It is the least we can give,” Pepper corrected gently. “You have done an amazing job of raising one hell of a kid and honestly it is our honor to know we can help you both. Tony loves both of you very much,” she said as she turned to take in the form of her sleeping soon-to-be husband who had yet to discover any of this had been done in his name. He looked, for once, at peace. “And I do too. You have been a better friend to him in the short time he’s known you than half the people that have surrounded him throughout his life. You were kind to him even when you thought there was nothing but pain to gain - given that to you, he was at first only the man that gave your nephew a weaponized suit.  So don’t thank me, for I am merely repaying your kindness towards  _ my  _ family.”

May didn’t know what to answer to that, and Pepper knew it. She smiled to herself. “Would you mind getting coffee with me later this week? I would love to stay and chat but it’s a little late,” Pepper said with a chuckle, not wanting the woman to feel bad.

“Oh my god I never even looked at the time! I’m so sorry, I should have waited until tomorrow. I-“

“It’s quite alright,” Pepper assured her. “I wasn’t in bed yet anyway,” she lied. “I will text you to this number to arrange our outing if that’s okay with you.” 

“Yes, of course, have a goodnight, Ms. Potts,” May said cheerfully. 

“Pepper is just fine. And same to you, dear May. Give Peter a kiss for us,” Pepper said before ending the call, crawling back into the warmth of Tony’s arms. She was so glad Tony had found Peter and May.

They had, little by little, brought him back to life. She had thought, for a few fearful weeks after Tony had returned to SIberia and she had returned to his side, that she had lost him to the darkness in his heart. The fight between the avengers, and his encounter with Steve in Siberia… it had changed him. It had broken something fundamental within Tony that she had thought lost. But that boy had brought the spark back, and so she would thank the heavens and count her blessings and hope that nothing came between them, for she wasn’t sure Tony could handle yet another betrayal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for disappearing for so long, life is crazy!!


	7. Old Fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

For the first time in many many years, life was good - life was  _ really good _ . And that was enough to worry Tony… a lot. And perhaps he was just being paranoid - it was hard to deny how with every betrayal it became harder and harder for him to even think of trusting people - but, in all honesty, good things didn’t happen to Tony Stark. They just didn’t. Every time something good happened - for example, he found a new meaning in life - something crushing came right along - the death of his parents, Obie’s betrayal, Steve’s betrayal… and the list went on and on. 

So, while he was enjoying every second of his life as it currently stood, he was also mentally preparing himself to watch it all crash and burn. The real problem was, however, that he did not know when or how it would all crash and burn. And not knowing would have been okay if it was just him, but his current situation involved far more than just him, and… and well he wasn’t panicking, but he was certainly alert. 

Well, no, correction, he hadn’t been panicking. He hadn’t been panicking until today, when he had gone to SI to oversee the delivery of a new set of machinery needed for a new project he was designing. He had been waiting outside the building for Happy to arrive, and so he had decided to at the very least get himself a coffee on the vending cart across the street. There had been two women in line in front of him and one of them, the one that looked the younger of the two, had been holding a magazine in her hands - a magazine Tony was sure she had picked up to have something to do while she waited for her breakfast. 

The other woman had taken one look at the cover and her only comment had been “Do you think that kid has a family?” 

“What kid?” Had been her confused companion’s response.

“This kid, the Stark one. Well, the one Stark took under his wing. Do you think he has a family?”

“I don’t know? Probably, I mean why wouldn’t he?” 

The woman had shrugged. “I don’t know, he seems to spend an awful lot of time around Tony Stark and his company. Now, I’m not saying Tony Stark is a bad person, but as a parent I don’t know if I’d allow my kid to spend that much time around someone who had had such a dubious past and leads such a dangerous life."

“I think you’re reading too much into it,” her companion had said, and that had been the end of that - for them. 

For Tony, however, it had been only the beginning. 

Because…  _ Does he have a family?  _

If that was a question that had to be asked, simply because Peter was near him, then he was doing something clearly wrong. May had been there for Peter long before Tony had even come into the picture. She was responsible for having brought up the single sweetest young man Tony had ever had the pleasure of knowing. She did her best to keep Peter out of trouble, and she did her best to be both mother and father to a boy that had lost his parents far too young. 

And yes, Peter was always seen with him and not his aunt because May was not in the spotlight and therefore the papers took no notice of her, but to disregard all her accomplishments simply because Tony was now there… it disgusted him to no end. He had done nothing, except make a suit that, whether he liked it or not, probably did more harm than good. 

Not only that, but the woman’s words had struck a chord deep inside Tony. In a way, she was right, Tony’s lifestyle was indeed too dangerous for a sixteen year old high school kid. Tony was one of the last few remaining Avengers in an increasingly hostile world when it came to superheroes. And, after the deaths and injuries that Steve had brought upon German citizens and UN personnel in his quest to help his friend, the world was more than ready to begin pointing fingers - at the idea of the Avengers, if necessary. 

And yes, Peter wasn’t an average kid. He was Spider-Man. And yes, Tony had been the one to bring him into the fold because ce could stop a bus with his bare hands and yada yada yada, but now, now after months of spending time with Peter, Tony realize that didn’t actually mean shit. He was still, first and foremost,  _ a kid. _ And while Peter was too stubborn for Tony to think of any possible solution other than offering a spot in the team to keep a close eye on him, that didn’t mean Tony was actually the best person to mentor Peter, not after he had been the one to put him in danger in the first place. 

Because, at the end of the day, good things simply didn’t happen to Tony Stark. He loved the kid, there was no denying that. He had already tried the whole “I am beyond feelings” bullshit, and it had led him nowhere. He could lie to everyone around him, he could even lie to Peter, but it would do no good to lie to himself. If it was all left up to him, the kid would never again know the meaning of sadness or pain. He would be safe and happy and cared for, but it wasn’t up to him. Nothing was up to him, not when it came to himself, and certainly not when it came to Peter. 

He couldn’t prevent his enemies from noticing Peter. He couldn’t prevent Peter from being a superhero, but most importantly, he couldn’t prevent himself from repeating the same mistakes Howard had made with him in his youth. He couldn’t preventing fucking up with Peter. He couldn’t prevent disappointing him, or having him hate as passionately as he often hated Howard. And yeah, he was trying, fuck was he trying, to rise above the fuckup that had been his own father, but it was clear now to Tony that he wasn’t actually doing that much better. 

He was still putting Peter at risk just by being near him - physically, and, eventually, emotionally. He was too fucked up inside to be what Peter clearly needed, and the worst part was that Tony didn’t know how to make it better. He couldn’t just pretend everything was alright and that he could suddenly open up to people or be a normal, good, spotless role model. He couldn’t. He couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t going to monopolize Peter’s life if at any point he felt the boy was in danger. He couldn’t pretend he knew the first thing about being a good role model or a good father. He knew jack shit about both, and Peter, lovely, young, gullible Peter, deserved  _ so  _ much better. 

“Friday, let Pepper know I’ll be taking over the scheduled events we have in Europe this coming week,” Tony said suddenly as he got up from his desk, making a beeline for the door to his office. 

“Of course boss, should I ready the plane for tonight?” 

“No, ready it for this afternoon. Clear my schedule for the rest of the day,” Tony barked out as he locked his door behind him, immediately taking out his signature sunglasses. 

“You have scheduled in a movie with Mr. Parker tomorrow, sir, would you like me to postpone the trip or should I inform Mr. Parker that you’ll not be in the country?” 

Tony froze. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He couldn’t just… cut Peter out. That wasn’t going to work. He had done that once already, and the foolish boy had gone head in to fight the fucking bad guy Tony had  _ explicitly asked him not to fight _ . He had saved the day in the process - there was no denying that - but he had still gotten injured. 

So staying completely out of Peter’s life was simply not a possibility. However… 

_ I don’t know if I’d allow my kid to spend that much time around someone who has had such a dubious past and leads such a dangerous life _

Perhaps she wasn’t wrong. Perhaps taking a step back would do them both good. It was better if Peter knew now that Tony wasn’t all he expected him to be. Perhaps then he wouldn’t be soul crushed when Tony inevitably fucked up. Perhaps if he didn’t let him in any closer, perhaps if he went back to just keeping tabs on the kid, feeding off of every bit of information he could get out from everyone but Peter… perhaps then he could keep Peter safer - from Tony himself.-

* * *

Peter fidgeted on his seat, unable to pay attention to what his spanish teacher was saying. He was trying, he really was, but after the rather depressing news he had gotten from Friday just a few hours earlier, he wasn’t exactly feeling in the mood to be in school. 

Tony had left the country to take care of SI business which was totally fine. That part Peter completely understood, and wholeheartedly supported, because he knew just how much Tony cared about developing clean energy products, and the french government, of what Tony had told him, was all over his ideas. They loved it, and they, alongside other EU members, were pushing hard to make sure Tony’s efforts didn’t go to waste. 

And Peter  _ loved  _ the elated look Tony got when he talked about their ridiculously good progress, and how he lit up when even more ideas came to his mind. Peter loved hearing about his ideas, loved helping Tony develop them, and he knew it was important for Tony to personally be there a lot of the time once projects starting rolling onto the real world. 

However, and he was probably a bad person for even thinking this, he also enjoyed the times that it was just him and Tony, and it wasn’t exactly nice to know he wouldn’t be getting any down time with his favorite inventor because the man was busy.

That wasn’t even the part that truly bothered him though. What really had stung - and it was so fucking stupid but it still stung - was the fact that Tony hadn’t told him. He had seen the man two days ago, and he hadn’t even mentioned it. They had made plans weeks ago, and Tony hadn’t called when he had found out he would have to go to France to let Peter know their plans were no longer a thing. Peter had no idea when Tony had found out he would be leaving for God knows how long, but the matter remained he had never mentioned it to Peter. He also hadn’t called to say goodbye. He had had Friday to the dirty work. 

It was silly, he knew, but that was one of the things they now did. Whenever Tony would have to go out of town, he would call Peter and let him know, just like Peter called every damn day to let Tony know he was going to school and when he was headed home. He wasn’t sure why they did it. It wasn’t like Tony was his father, but he was… he was family. In some way - in an undefined, unclear, terrifyingly real way - he was family. Tony was the person he went to when May didn't have an answer to his problems (which, thank god, wasn't that often because she was may and she knew too much about  _ everything). _ He was the man Peter ran to when he wanted someone aside from his aunt to feel proud of his accomplishments. He was the person he bragged about to Ned, and Ned, bless him, let him because they both had fanboyed over Tony Stark for too long to not talk about him now when the man  _ literally spoke to Peter on a daily basis _ .

Well, used to speak to Peter on a daily basis. He hadn't heard from Tony since yesterday morning, and, although he would never say it to Tony directly, he was a little panicky about it.

This was the longest he’d gone without communicating with Tony since the man had first texted him. And it wasn't like Peter hadn't tried reaching out. He had texted the man last night once he had gotten home. He had texted random things about his day and he had texted again this morning. He had even called - hence why Friday had picked up to inform him Tony was out of the country.

So, all in all, Peter was a little worried. It wasn't like Tony - or maybe it was, who the fuck knew at this point - to not even bother with Peter. He knew he probably annoyed the genius a little too much, but Tony had always seemed okay with it. 

He had never told Peter to just get lost, but now the man wasn't communicating. And yes it had only been twenty four hours, and Peter knew he was probably overreacting but-

“Peter, are you okay?” Ned said suddenly, breaking Peter out of his reverie. “You look like you’re going to throw up.”

“Yeah, no, I’m fine. Never better,” he said quickly, tapping his pencil quickly against his book as he tried - and probably failed - to conceal the many emotions thundering inside him. 

Ned regarded him carefully for a moment, for once not making a joke or a comment to try to alleviate Peter’s mood. He just stared until it got a bit awkward, before finally saying “you’re coming over to my house tonight. I have a new set of the Starfleet Enterprise, and you’re gonna help me build it.  MJ will be coming too.” 

Peter smiled, the first genuine smile Ned had seen all day. “MJ never helps us tho, she just sits there and reads.” 

“Are you shittalking me, Parker?” She said from behind them as she threw a little ball of paper - sans spit blessedly - at Peter’s head. 

Peter chuckled and shook his head immediately, raising his hands up in defeat. “You know I would never,” he said with a wink. 

Ned beamed at him, clearly happy to see that he was able to at least distract his friend from whatever it was that was bothering him. He would have to talk to MJ later. The girl had a knack for just knowing things, even when no one else did. She would probably be the best equipped to help Ned help Peter.

Or maybe Ned would help her help Peter. Either way, it didn’t much matter, so long as they could indeed help their best friend. 

* * *

Tony sighed as he looked out the large window of his hotel room, his eyes straying to the exquisite architecture of the buildings down below. Usually, today would be an incredibly exciting day. He had just finished closing one of the best clean-energy deals he had brokered in a while, and he had two more meetings at night to make sure another contract closed. 

It was, for all intents a purposes, a fantastic day, except it wasn’t. It really wasn’t, because he was alone in Paris after having essentially run away from the one truly _purely_ _good_ thing he had in his life. But what else could he do? His main priority would always be to make sure Peter was okay, and if he himself was hindering that then it was his job to take a step back, damn the consequences to himself. 

“Friday, how is he?” He asked after a few seconds, unable to not worry since he had turned off his personal phone to avoid just texting the boy random, important, things like  _ don’t forget your lunch at home like last time.  _

“He’s fine, sir, although he seemed quite sad to know you had left without so much as a by your leave,” Friday said, her tone accusatory. 

Tony grimaced, knowing that, while Friday would never disobey him, she really was not pleased with him right now. “I’ll… call him soon, Fry, don’t worry.”

His AI didn’t answer, both of them knowing Tony had no intentions to call Peter anytime soon, no matter how much he wanted to.

“Just… keep me in the loop, okay? Make sure he’s okay for me,” Tony said with a sigh, half feeling a glare on his back. It was days like these when he was glad his beloved AI did not have a body. 

“Sir, you have an incoming call from Allison Keener, would you like me to patch her through or not?” 

Tony froze. “Put her through,” he said immediately, feeling his throat dry up as he went through a mental checklist of what Harley could have possibly done to earn Tony a call from his mother.

“Allison, dear, how are you?” Tony said with false cheeriness, as he began quickly moving around the room, picking everything up. He had the distinct feeling he would have to cut his trip short. 

“Tony… I’m so sorry to call without warning, but I just… Harley’s gone,” she said, her voice tinged with desperation. 

Tony froze, a red tie dangling from his hand. “ _ What? _ ” 

“He’s gone. He left a note saying he’d be back in a few days, but he didn’t say where he was going or what he was doing… Tony, people know he knows you. I’m afraid something bad will happen to him if… Gosh, I’m sorry I know he isn’t your-”

“I am in Paris right now, Allison, so it’s going to take me a number of hours to get back to New York, but don’t worry I’ll have Friday start a search and I’ll find him as soon as I get back,” Tony said, redoubling his efforts to finish packing. “Don’t worry, okay? I promise you, I will find him. It might take me a day or two, but I  _ will _ find Harley.” 

The confidence in his voice was enough to calm her down. “Thank you so much, Tony, and sorry. I hate when I have to bother you with-”

“You know it’s never a bother,” Tony said gently. “Your kid basically saved my life once, if anything I owe him,” Tony said, ignoring the fact that he had already paid his debt many times over throughout the years he had known Harley. “I’m headed for the airport right now, I’ll call you when I land.” 

Once they said their goodbyes, Tony hung up, his fingers twitching to throw something against the wall. This was the last thing he needed right now. 

“Friday ready the jet, and start facial recognition for Harley in his town. I want to know his every move for the past week so we can know where he’s planning on going. Also call Pepper and tell her to cancel all further meetings I had planned. Explain to her what happened and let her know I’ll be back in New York in about twelve hours.”

“Of course, boss, Should I inform Mr. Parker that you’ll be back tomorrow?” She asked innocently, still not letting Tony off the hook. 

“No,” he said immediately. “I can’t… let me deal with one kid at a time, yeah? I need to make sure Harley hasn’t fucking blown anything up - or hasn’t blown _himself_ up - before I can deal with Peter.”  

With that Tony grabbed his now messily packed suitcase and his iron man case, and he left the room, almost forgetting to stop by the front desk to pay in his hurry. He ran out of the hotel as quickly as he could, smiling as he saw a cab already waiting for him. Thank heavens for Friday. 

“Sir, Mr. Keener made a stop at the bus terminal in Rose Hill approximately five hours ago. He bought one bus ticket, but their database does not show me the destination in his purchase detail. There are, however, 3 buses leaving for New York, with connections, today, so the most likely option is that he’s on a bus with a final destination to New York at the moment.”

_ of fucking course _

“I’m going to fucking kill this kid,” Tony declared, his voice as calm as if he was just stating that the weather was pleasantly warm today.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand we're starting to get a lil angsty lol. But don't worry this is just a tiny small bit of pain (compared to the real pain coming later). It's a lil hard for Tony to come to terms with the fact that he is, in fact, a good influence in somebody else's life, so yeah, poor Tony needs to get over his traumas.


	8. Crash Course on Emotional Stuntedness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "This mess was yours,  
> Now your mess is mine...  
> Tell me sorry for the mess  
> Hey, I don’t mind...  
> Well, you still make sense to me  
> Your mess is mine"   
> \- Vance Joy

“You better have a good fucking reason for skipping school, Harley, or so help me god,” Tony growled as he stomped into the tower, his eyes flashing with a promise of retribution as he regarded the fastly growing teenager currently sitting upside down on his couch. 

Harley scrambled to sit up, shooting Tony a winning smile even though he knew they had long lost their effect on Tony - if they ever had any. “Hey, Tony,” the boy said cheerfully, biting into his pop tart. “I thought you were staying in France for a few days.” 

“I was, until  _ you  _ decided to come to New York without so much as a by your leave, prompting your mom to call me to freak out because you weren't there,” Tony said in a saccharine tone as he came to stand in front of Harley. 

The boy had the decency to look at least a little embarrassed. “Well you didn't have to come all the way here. I’m sure FRIDAY told you exactly where I was the minute I left.” Harley took another bite out of his pop tart. “I mean what else am I gonna do if I’m coming to New York? It's not like I have a place to stay.”

“You shouldn't be in New York. You should be in school,” Tony noted, icily. “Also how did you find this tower? It's not in the news that I bought it.”

“I called Pepper,” the boy said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “She wasn't super pleased by the spontaneity of my trip, but she said I could stay here until she talked to you.”

Tony held back a whine, rubbing his face slowly.  _ Of course _ Harley had brought Pepper into this. “You still haven't answered my question: why are you here, kid?”

“Isn't this what most rebellious teenagers do?” He asked innocently. “I mean, my dad left me when I was young. Clearly I have no guide so I act out.” 

“You know that spiel sounds a lot more convincing when you don't use it twenty thousand times for the most random of things, also you’re barely a teenager” Tony said, sounding unimpressed. “I want the truth, Harley. Why are you here?” 

“You know I’m starting to think you don't want me here,” Harley shot back, pretending to look offended.

Tony rolled his eyes. “I don't. I want you in school,  _ where you should have been this morning.” _

“We have vacation Monday, so really I only missed today,” Harley pointed out. “And it's for a good cause.”

“So far, I’m not convinced,” Tony said, a brow raised.

“I have a huge science fair coming up in school, and I signed up with the design for a robodog, but I didn’t have the right materials so I needed to come here to do it,” he finally explained, looking miffed at having to do so.

“And you didn’t think calling in advance and at least telling your mother were good ideas?” Tony asked, starting to sound angry again. 

“I wanted to surprise you,” Harley whined, though he knew very well he was pushing Tony’s limits today. He didn’t know what had happened before his arrival, but it was as clear as day - at least to Harley - that something was eating away at the man, which  _ really _ was not helpful right now. “Anyway, where’s the kid?” 

Tony froze. “What?” 

Harley frowned. “You do realize we also have magazines in Tennessee, right?” He asked drily. 

“Are you talking about Peter?” Tony asked then, looking even more confused. “What… why does that even matter?

Harley shrugged. “Well is he here or not?” He pressed, not willing to let the question drop. 

Tony took a step back, regarding Harley with those keen eyes of his. “Are you… is this you being jealous, Harley?” Tony asked incredulously, everything suddenly making a lot more sense. 

“Of course not,” the boy said defensively. “Why would I be jealous of anyone? Jeez, I was just curious, no need to get so worked up about it,” he huffed, almost tasting the irony in his words as he himself was getting worked up about this. 

Tony raised a brow, a knowing, yet thankfully accepting smirk playing on his lips. “No, he’s not here right now. Now, we have to go call your mom and you need to go home.” 

Harley scoffed. “No, we need to go to your workshop. I wasn’t kidding when I said I have a project. It’s due on Wednesday, and I need your equipment,” Harley said as he stood up, making his way to the elevator. “I already talked to my mom while I waited for you. She’s pissed, but whatever, she said I could stay for my project so we’re good.” 

Tony watched helplessly as his young protege marched confidently down the hall, feeling a pang of desperation at the sight. He wasn’t Harley’s father, and had - thankfully - never had to assume the role, but it was hard to ignore the fact that, whether for good or for bad, the young man was eerily similar to Tony, particularly during his own sullen teenage years. 

_ God help them all.  _

* * *

Peter picked at his dinner distractedly, his aunt’s voice washing over him despite his best efforts to pay attention. He had lost the thread of the conversation somewhere after she had served them their food but before she had remembered to go turn off the oven and, after several attempts to get back on track, he had finally given it up as a lost cause. 

He hummed, neither in agreement nor denial, every time she paused and clearly expected him to answer. He was pretty sure she would notice eventually that he was, in fact, not listening but he hoped that, if he looked attentive enough, she would let it slide.

“Peter, are you even listening?” She asked finally, tired of pretending everything was fine.

_ Dammit. _

Peter's head snapped up at that and he scrunched his nose scrambling to remember the last thing he had heard her say. “Yes of course, you were telling me about… your… uh…  new article?”

May gave him a sweet smile while glaring daggers at him. “No, but good guess. Try again.”

Peter grimaced. “Sorry, May. I’m just a little distracted today.”

The woman hummed, sitting back. “You’ve been “distracted” for the past three days, Peter. I might have let it slide, but I’m starting to get worried, so let’s cut the bullshit. What’s the matter?” 

“Nothing,” Peter replied quickly, too quickly in fact because his aunt eyes only narrowed more at that. “No, really, it’s nothing Aunt May.” 

“Alright, this is what we’re going to do. You’re going to finish your dinner,  _ right now, _ and then  you’re going to help me clean up,” she started, keeping a sweet smile on her face while her eyes looked as hard as steel. “And then I’m going to go get us both some ice cream and we’re going to sit down and talk. Got it?”

Peter opened his mouth to protest, but, after thinking it through, he closed it again. There was no point arguing with his aunt. He would do her bidding, one way or another. And, quite honestly, he hated making her mad, so it was better if he just shut up and listened to her. 

He dragged his chair closer to the table, this time stabbing at his pasta with firm determination, taking small yet quick bites to make up for the past ten minutes where he had not actually taken a single bite. He was not hungry - well no that wasn’t true. He was hungry, he just hadn’t felt like eating. Still, now that he was actually putting food in his mouth, he realized how much he had needed this. The too salty, almost burnt taste which was the signature flavor of every single one of May’s dishes was, in some strange way, comforting to him.

“Thank you” he said quietly after a few minutes, once he had finished almost inhaling the entirety of his plate. 

Her eyes remained cold, but she gave him a genuine smile, patting him on the back before she started picking up the plates. “I’ll take the plates to the sink. You put them in the washing machine,” her instructions simple and clear - just like they had been since he had first come to live with her eight years ago. They did their chores in silence, though, thankfully, it wasn’t as awkward as Peter had expected it to be. Times hadn’t always been easy for them; from his parents dying to occasional money issues, there usually was something bothering at least one of the two. 

It was a part of life, of course, but this, this mindless activity that they had been doing for years, had always been their go to when they were most stressed. Peter did the dishes and she cleaned the rest of the kitchen. They didn’t need to talk. They didn’t need to think. They just needed to do. 

And it was… nice. 

Peter ran out of dishes to wash far too soon for his liking - considering a talk came next and he wasn’t looking forward to  _ that -  _ but he straightened his shoulders and turned around to find May serving them both generous portions of chocolate and vanilla slow-churned ice cream. She didn’t say anything as she dropped two spoons - one on each bowl - and handed one of the bowls to Peter. She didn’t need to tell him to follow her to the living room; that much was obvious. 

She sat down carefully, putting her own plate to the side as she regarded her nephew with those intelligent eyes of hers. She raised a single brow, bringing her legs up on the couch to cross them in front of her, and said “so, spit it out.” 

Peter sighed, fidgeting slightly before saying “I told you, Aunt May, it’s nothing. I’ve just been really busy with school and everything, and I’m a bit stressed out, but I’m fine.”

May’s eyes hardened even more. “Peter, you’re  _ always  _ stressed out. That doesn’t cause you to stop listening to people, or to miss movie night with Ned, or to miss a dinner with-” She suddenly froze, a hint of realization in her eyes. “Today is Monday.”

Peter nodded, frowning. “Yes?” 

“You were supposed to have dinner with Tony today,” she said, not beating the issue around the bush. “Why are you not at the compound?”

Peter’s eyes widened, clearly not having expected her to figure it out this fast. “I… he’s been busy lately. He’s… well he went to France a couple of days ago,” Peter said evasively.

May frowned. “But you and Ned said he came back yesterday. Wasn’t he gone just for like a day or two?” 

Peter shrugged, a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t talked to him.” 

“What?” May sounded more and more confused by the second. “Have you not been reporting to him like you usually do when you go on patrol?” 

“I have,” Peter immediately assured her, not wanting her to get angry again. “I have been texting him and I’ve even left a few voice messages. He hasn’t answered his phone.. He’s… I don’t know,” Peter ended quietly, clearly deflated. “He’s never just… dissapeared like this. I don’t know if I did something wrong or-” Peter sighed. “I don’t know maybe I shouldn’t bother him. It’s not like-”

“Don’t be silly, honey. You’re not a bother. He cares a lot about you, Peter. I mean, he’s always bothering  _ me _ to make sure you’re okay,” she reasoned, reaching over to squeeze his knee. “I’m sure he’s just been more busy than usual… but, if you want, I can try calling him.” 

“No!” Peter immediately jumped, his eyes wide. “No, don’t bother him, May. If he’s really busy, he probably won’t like to be bothered. I mean it’s not like he has to answer every time I text. It’s fine, I promise. I just-”

“Peter calm down, it’s okay, I won’t call him,” she said as she patted his arm, hoping to somehow reassure her nephew. “Okay? It’s fine, look just… take a deep breath. I’m sure everything’s fine, dear.”

He nodded, neither looking too convinced. He inched closer to his aunt, both leaning in to hug it out. She patted his back, resting her cheek against his messy hair. 

“Is it alright if I go patrolling tonight?” Peter asked quietly, listening to May’s heartbeat intently.

The woman stilled, considering her options. She could tell him no, and let him psych himself out like he was clearly doing, or she could tell him yes and risk him getting injured because he wasn’t in the right headspace. 

Neither option sounded promising. 

“You have to come back early, and if it looks too dangerous, don’t get involved,” She said after a few minutes of fighting with herself. “And I’m waiting up for you. I want you back home by ten thirty, got it?” 

Peter nodded, giving his aunt one last squeeze before running out of the room, not even noticing the fact that he was leaving his phone behind in his effort to get his suit on. May eyed the phone for a few seconds, an idea coming to mind. She had told Peter she wouldn’t talk to Tony, and she wasn’t going to break her promise. She knew Peter had to work those insecurities out with the man himself; however, May was also fully aware Tony wasn’t the only one that could give her an answer to this particular problem. The problem being Tony suddenly going off the grid like never before in the now many months of their friendship. 

She picked up Peter’s phone, quickly looking for the phone number she wanted before putting the phone back down, saying a quick “good luck, Peter!” Before all but running into her room, her resolve building with every step. 

She sat on her bed, her legs draw up, as she closed her eyes and waited for Peter to leave the apartment. It thankfully didn’t take long, as the boy was clearly eager to just go and swing around for a bit, if only to distract himself. 

May sighed softly, picking up her phone and dialing the number in the darkness of her room. She didn’t have to wait long for the man to pick up. 

“Hello?”

“Good Evening Colonel Rhodes, I’m sorry to bother you this late,” May said as she looked back at the clock, knowing that while nine pm was not late, it certainly wasn’t early if you were calling a stranger. 

“I’m sorry, who is this?” The man asked politely but clearly wary. 

“Oh, it’s May Parker! Sorry I should have started with that,” she said with a small chuckle. “I… got your number from Peter,” she said, not even feeling bad for the half truth she was giving.  

“Oh,” Rhodey blurted, the wariness all but gone. “Right, hi, sorry Ms. Parker, how can I help you?”

“Well first, just May is fine,” she said with a soft chuckle.

“Of course, May, then please call me James, or Rhodey, whichever you prefer,” the man said, sounding warm. “Anyway, is everything alright with Peter?”

“I’m not sure actually, that’s the reason I’m calling,” she admitted with a sigh. “I remembered you met with him a while ago, but I know you’re good friends with Tony, so I thought you might be able to help me.”

That terrifying sentence set every alarm off in Rhodey’s body as he braced himself for the worst, half ready to fly all the way to the compound to make sure his best friend wasn’t doing something brash. If something had happened to Peter… Tony wouldn’t be able to cope. He had already lost so much.

“Is Peter physically hurt? Where are you? Have you talked to Tony? If you haven’t wait until-”

‘What? No! No oh god no Peter’s fine,” She was quick to reassure, feeling warmth flood her at the thought that this man who had met Peter a single time was literally worrying his head off simply because he was close with Tony and that made her nephew important to all of them. “It’s not anything life threatening. It’s just… well Tony has been ignoring Peter for a few days now, and I know he’s back in New York, so it seemed strange to me to hear-”

“Wait, I’m so sorry I keep interrupting you, but what do you mean ignoring?” Rhodey asked, sounding genuinely confused. “Tony would never ignore Peter.” 

May raised a brow, glaring at the air in front of her. “He’s ignoring him as in he’s not talking to him. He even cancelled their usual weekly plans. He hasn’t reached out to Peter in I don’t know how long, and now Peter’s moping all over the place,” she bit out, her voice holding more anger than she had wanted. 

This wasn’t James’ fault. Hell, it might not even be Tony’s fault. She needed to keep her cool, dammit. It would do her no good to jump to conclusions. Tony had given her no reason to mistrust him, not ever since their first conversation where he had accepted his faults and had promised to do better by her and Peter. 

He had kept his end of the promise. It was only fair May gave him  a chance. 

“May… I don’t know why or  _ if _ Tony is ignoring him, but I’ll get this sorted out. I promise you that much,” he said, sounding dead serious. “Give me a few hours, and I’ll see what I can do. I’ll get back to you tomorrow at the latest,” he assured her, taking off his jacket as he clicked the back of one of his prosthetic legs with his heel, calling the War Machine suit to him.

“Are you going to talk to him?” She asked, sounding a little apprehensive. “I promised Peter I wouldn’t talk to Tony about it.” 

“Well I made no such promises,” Rhodes sade easily, smiling as the suit closed in around him. “Don’t worry, I’ll fix this. He’s probably just being an idiot.” 

“What do you mean?” She asked, sitting up a little straighter. 

Rhodey sighed, not sure how to properly explain Tony’s story without a) revealing too much sensitive information about the man and b) having at least a week’s worth of time to explain everything in depth. “I’m sure he’ll explain later. Don’t worry too much, okay? We’ll fix it. I’ll call you later,” the man said before ending the call, not wanting her to prod too much more. 

He first needed to talk to Tony, before being able to make an informed decision of his own. Still, he had known Tony for years. Hell, he knew Tony better than he knew himself sometimes, and this whole pushing people away thing was not fucking new. Rhodey knew it well. It was a fear of Tony’s which had only grown over the years as more and more people either betrayed him or left him. Rhodey just hoped this time his best friend would listen, because Rhodey was not willing to see him lose one of the best things that had happened to him yet.

* * *

“You need to learn how to realign the thrusters,” Tony said, his words muffled by the screwdriver he was holding in between his teeth.

“I don’t think the robodog needs thrusters,” Harley hummed, a sound mixed between total exhaustion and exhilaration. They had been down here for a bit over fifteen hours, he was pretty sure and, while they had taken breaks in between for food and - in Harley’s case - a two hour nap, he was finally starting to feel the exertion. 

Tony on the other hand seemed either unwilling or unable to feel the fact that his body probably needed some rest at this point. Harley knew the man had been avoiding something the entire time he had been staying here, but, considering Tony had in fact allowed him to stay for almost three days now, he figured he’d let it slide. 

That is until Rhodes walked into the workshop, hands on his hips as if ready for battle. He stopped short, however, when his eyes landed on Harley. 

“Squirt, what are you doing here?” He asked, looking between Harley and Tony. “Don’t you have school?”

Tony looked up from where he was hunched over, smiling softly at his best friend. “Hello Rhodey bear. Harley here decided to be a bad boy and left his house without so much as a note to his mother, forcing me to cut down all my meetings in France to come find his ass.”

Rhodey’s brows shot up. “But you’ve been back for almost three days. Why is he still here?”

“ _ He  _ has a school project he has to finish,” Harley said with a roll of his eyes, not even pretending not to be a little intimidated by Rhodey’s no-nonsense glare.

“I already gave him a hard time about it,” Tony assured his friend as he came to hug him in greeting. “So it’s fine, you can lay off his ass. I’m sending him back home tomorrow.” Tony’s brow furrowed. “How come you’re here, Rhodey honey? You never said you were coming to visit.”

“Well since Pepper is in France, I figured I’d check in on you,” Rhodey said sweetly before adding “since you’ve been ignoring Peter and all.” 

Tony froze at that. “What are you on about, Rhodey?” 

“I got a call today from May today,” the man said, his voice still calm and sweet, but his non-nonsense gaze turning to Tony. He crossed his arms and stepped closer to Tony, with knowing eyes. “Now I know for a fact you were supposed to meet with him three days ago, and you were also meant to meet with him tonight for dinner, and-”

“I’m pretty sure I told you none of these things, you stalker” Tony said his tone half a reprimand, half amused.

Rhodey shrugged. “I’m your best friend. I like knowing your schedule. Sue me,” he replied easily. “Now stop changing the subject.” 

“So he  _ was _ supposed to be here,” Harley chimed in, looking victorious. “I’ve been asking about this dude for days.”

Rhodey frowned. “How do you even know about Peter?” 

“I read the news,” Harley said as he picked up a smoothie. “Anyway, this sounds to me like you’re ignoring this kid whom you’ve decided to replace me with.” 

Rhodey let out a chuckle. “Squirt, are you jealous?” 

“No clearly I don’t have to be, since he’s ignoring him,” Harley said with a roll of his eyes. “That’s fucked up by the way,” he told Tony without a trace of judgement.

“No you two don’t get to gang up on me,” Tony said, looking between the two. “I’m not even doing anything! I’m taking care of his suit. I’ll make sure he gets into MIT. I’ll pay for his tuition. He won’t lack anything Rhodey, so get off my ass.” 

Rhodey rolled his eyes. “This isn’t about whether or not you’re providing for him, you idiot. I know you do and I know you’ll never stop. That’s not all he needs from-”

“No, he needs May, Rhodey, not me,” Tony said, growing restless. 

“Tony-”

Tony shook his head, clenching and unclenching his hands. “Rhodey, there is  _ nothing _ I can offer him in the emotional department that May-”

“Tony that’s fucking bullshit and you know it,” Rhodey half growled. “Or are you going to tell me you didn’t need anything else from Howard other than his money?” 

Tony recoiled, the man’s words hitting him straight in the face. 

“He lost his parents, Tony,” Rhodey pressed on, not letting go of his opening. “All he has is May and you - that’s it. You’re the closest thing he has to a father. You are his hero, Tony, and you can’t back down now because you’re scared.” Rhodey grabbed Tony by his cheeks. “You are better than that.” 

Tony pulled away, dazedly falling back onto a seat, memories of Howard flooding him. The man had always been so cold, so distant, so worried with his work that he had never had time for Tony. And no matter how hard he had tried, no matter how many things he created or how many records he broke, Howard never cared, never bothered with the tiny child whom he had fathered. 

Tony shuddered. “But I’m not his dad… it’s not the same thing.” 

“ _ The fuck you aren’t _ ,” Harley said, scrunching up his nose. “Tony, the only thing you talk about is this kid. Yeah he might not have your blood, but are you seriously telling me this isn’t your kid? You made his suit with over five hundred different combinations of webs and you know what his favorite type of hot chocolate is for rainy days,” Harley finished with a whine.

“A) don’t think I didn’t notice you just cursed,” Tony listed, pointing an accusatory finger at Harley. “B) You’re not even fifteen yet, kid. How do you know-”

“Honestly, is this like your anxiety attacks after the alien invasion?”Harley asked, as irreverent as ever. “Because if it is-”

“Oh my god, Harley, I’ve told you we don’t talk about that,”Tony whined. 

“Perhaps that’s exactly the problem,” Rhodey countered. “Tony, you shouldn’t run from your feelings. You can’t-”

“Ok, ok, no, both of you stop,” Tony warned, getting up. “I just… I need a moment to think, okay? I’ll… I’ll go see Peter in a bit. Just… I need air,” he finished, all but running out of the workshop, leaving behind the other two.

Harley looked up at Rhodey and held out his drink. “Smoothie?” He offered, a brow raised.

Rhodey chuckled but accepted the drink, coming to sit next to Harley. He had met the kid the last time he had come to visit Tony, and they had hit it off immediately. He was, despite the false bravado he often showed, a very sweet boy, much like Tony himself had been when Rhodey had first met the man.

“So you’re not jealous enough to keep Tony all to yourself?” he asked curiously, chuckling when Harley slapped his arm. 

“Listen, I may like to monopolize his attention, but I’m not that much of an ass,” Harley said eventually. “If this kid makes him happy, and makes him better,” Harley shrugged,”then the least I can do is help them get their shit together.”

Rhodey chuckled again, his eyes twinkling as he offered his hand to Harley “how about this, from now on, you help me do the talking and I’ll corner them so they can’t escape us.”

“Hell yeah,” Harley agreed immediately, shaking Rhodey’s hand. 

* * *

Tony knocked on the door, half wincing when he checked his watch.It was much later than what he had first intended. 

After he had run away from his friend, he had actually followed through with his comment and had sat his ass down to think. Because while he never particularly enjoyed dwelling on feelings, Rhodey and Harley had made a valid point. 

Because no matter how afraid Tony was to endanger Peter, to fuck him up because of his own emotional constipation, he was more afraid to have the boy think the only father figure he had left didn’t give a fuck about him.

Rhodey was right: Tony was better than this. The answer didn’t have to be to pull away. The answer, perhaps, just perhaps, was to pull closer, to be better - for Peter. He could be better for him. He had to be. 

“Tony!” May said, sounding a little too shocked when she opened her door. She hadn’t expected Rhodey to be this fast. “Ah, we weren’t expecting you… please come in.” 

Tony smiled at her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before making his way towards the couch. “How have things been? I, uh, am sorry I’ve been so absent.” 

She remained standing by the door for a little while longer as she took in his appearance. He had deep dark bags under his eyes, his hair was greasy, and his suit was a little too tightly pressed.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked quietly as she crossed the room, sitting on the armchair opposite to him. 

Tony let out a huff that seemed to be meant as a laugh. “Do you ever feel inordinately afraid that you’ll fuck up the people you care for the most?” He asked darkly, not meeting her eyes. 

She swallowed hard. “Every day for the past eight years,” she replied immediately, her eyes understanding. 

Tony nodded, because yeah, if there was someone that was going to understand, it was May. She hadn’t given birth to Peter. She wasn’t his mother, and yet she had assumed that role the minute she had accepted an orphaned Peter into her life. 

Adoptive mother and father, neither ready but both all too willing to do whatever it took to see the boy succeed - what a pair they made. Well, no, correction, she was doing a  fucking fantastic job; what a mess  _ he’d _ made. 

“I’m sorry I disappeared like that,” Tony said with a half sigh. “I just… I felt like… well I have been encroaching a bit too much on your family.” 

“You can’t encroach a family you are a part of,” she deadpanned, leaning forward to grab his hand. “Yes, the germany thing still bothers me, but Tony-”

“There’s many things I’ve done wrong in my life,” he said as he finally looked up. “But I won’t let this be a mistake. I’m sorry I ran like that… but I’m here now. And I’ll do better by him. He deserves that much.” 

May smiled at him, her eyes swelling with tears. “I don’t think you understand how much you mean to him. You don’t have to do better, Tony. You are already doing great.” 

Before either could say anything else, Peter’s bedroom door opened and out came a sleepy looking Peter Parker who  _ froze _ as soon as he saw Tony.

“Hey underoos,” Tony said softly as he stood up, walking slowly towards Peter. “How was patrol tonight?”

Peter gaped at the man, leaning slightly to the side to give May a half angry look. She shook her head and mouthed  _ I didn’t call him _ , raising her right hand as if taking an oath.

“Uh, hi Mr. Stark,” He said after a few seconds of warring with his aunt via glares and aborted movements. “I didn’t know you were coming over tonight.” 

“I’m headed for bed, gotta wake up early and all.” May called, giving them both a smile as she all but ran out of the room. “Don’t forget to lock up when you leave,” she called as she all but slammed the door to her room shut, leaving them be. 

Peter looked back at the door, still not sure whether he believed May or not. 

“We need to talk, kid,” Tony said as he sat back down on the couch, patting the seat next to him. 

Peter stilled even further, paling slightly. This already sounded horrible. It sounded like something pulled out of his worst nightmare where he did something terrible and disappointed Tony yet again and the man took the suit again and just  _ left _ and-

Tony cradled Peter’s face, forcing him to concentrate on him. “Peter? Hey, it’s okay, It’s nothing bad, alright? Are you okay? You’re scaring me, kid.” 

“I’m fine,” Peter said immediately, pulling away and blushing, because holy shit was he good at embarrassing himself in front of iron man. “Sorry, I spaced out for a second. So, what did you want to talk about?” Peter bit his lip and then blurted “wait, no, first, I wanted to apologize. I’m not sure what I did, but, Mr. Stark-”

Tony froze. “Peter you have done absolutely  _ nothing _ wrong,” he said, half horrified. “Also, stop calling me Mr. Stark. It’s Tony, kid.” 

Peter swallowed hard. “Uh, right, sorry.” 

Tony groaned, sitting back down next to Peter. At this point he just wanted to brain himself against the nearest wall. “It’s not you who should be saying sorry.”

“What?” Peter said, sounding perplexed. “But-”

“I realized something today,” Tony said slowly, looking at his crossed fingers. “I might not be the best at this whole… mentor thing,” he said in lieu of the actual word popping loud and clear in his mind. “But you’re stuck with me, so-”

“But you’re a great mentor Tony,” Peter blurted out, looking genuinely confused. “I mean you’ve been my hero since I was like eight. I mean you were the one that made me believe in myself back at the expo.” 

Tony frowned, looking back at Peter. “What do you mean? What expo?” 

Peter mirrored Tony’s look. “The expo you had like eight years ago or something like that. I was there. We got attacked by these massive robots and you saved my life.” Peter suddenly smiled, the memory making him feel warm and safe. “You told me I did a good job, because I stood up to them, even though I didn’t actually do anything.” 

Tony’s eyes widened at that, the memory coming back to him slowly, as if emerging from a deep pool of water. He could remember that little boy very clearly now. He could remember the slightly too big expo t-shirt and the worn green sweater the boy had been wearing. He could remember the gigantic iron man mask bobbing over those small shoulders and the silly plastic blaster he had been wearing, raising it up slowly just like Tony did when he was particularly trying to impress. He remembered his heart skipping a beat at the sight, because he’d be damned if he left a kid die in his expo. He remembered stepping right behind him, smiling when the kid finally realized that iron man was there. He had given the credit to the kid, because, even then, a part of him had known that that was what he needed to do. He had always believed in building up the next generation, and helping a kid believe he could do anything was Tony’s top priority. 

“Ever since that day, I’ve always tried to be like you.” Peter blushed softly, not quite looking at Tony. “I always pushed myself a little harder because… well because I didn’t want to disappoint you, I guess. I wanted to make you proud, even though I knew you didn’t know who I was.” 

“Peter… I’m already proud of you. I’ve been proud of you since you told me you had homework when I tried to enable you to go to Germany,” Tony said, rough voice with emotion. “I will  _ always _ be proud of you,” Tony breathed out, inching closer to bring Peter into a tight hugh. 

Peter froze for a second, not used to Tony being so physically emotionally receptive, before finally hugging back, his fears, and anxieties disappearing slowly. Suddenly, Rhodey’s words rang clear in his head

_ He can seem cold and uncaring at times, but I can assure you, no one will ever care as much as Tony Stark.  _

How could he have doubted, even for a second, that the man currently holding him so tenderly didn’t care? Tony had shown him nothing but love since he had met him. There was something there, something he didn’t understand that made the man pull away sometime, but he cared. Peter could trust that. Peter could trust him.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around for the past week,” Tony said, still not letting go of Peter. “I won’t disappear like that again, though. I can tell you that much.” 

“I figured you were busy. I mean it’s not like you have to-”

“But I do,” Tony contradicted him. “You’re not a chore Peter, but you  _ are _ my responsibility. You can make demands of my time as much as Pepper or Rhodey.  _ You’re family, Peter _ , and family comes above everything else.”

Peter’s heart skipped a beat as he wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to let himself accept Tony as the father he hadn’t had long enough to appreciate. He wasn’t even sure why he was entertaining the thought, really, it wasn’t like Tony saw him as a son. He saw him as family, yes, but that was… that was a general feeling wasn’t it?

He didn’t want to call himself on his own bullshit. 

“So can I come over tomorrow?” Peter asked instead of something a lot more embarrassing like  _ I want you to be like a dad to me but I’m too scared I’ll lose you and this shit just gives me anxiety, man.  _

Tony smiled as he let go of Peter, looking a lot more relaxed than at first, and nodded. “I need to upgrade your suit, so we may as well. I’ll tet May, so that she knows you’re coming over.” 

Peter nodded, beaming at his mentor. “Thank you for coming tonight Tony, it… it means a lot.” 

Tony shook his head, giving Peter another quick hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow kid,” Tony said before turning Peter around and all but shoving him into his room. He was already way past his bedtime, and Tony was  _ not _ about to let him go to bed even later. 

Peter, for his part didn’t even have time to protest, for Tony was gone far too fast, and it didn’t take long for Peter to notice that there was  _ someone  _ in his room. He stilled as he closed the door behind him, looking down at his wrist, thanking heavens for his paranoia. 

Ever since he’d started having nightmares, and specially after Toomes, he had begun sleeping with his old web shooters on him. They weren't as sophisticated as the ones already installed in the suit, but they were good enough to get him out of a jam if he ever needed them.

He turned around quickly, shooting at the corner of his room, where he had seen the shadow move. He smiled at his handy work when a surprised grunt followed the noise of the web sticking to a sweater.

“Dude…  _ what the fuck _ ?” A young voice - much younger than what Peter had expected - said, before a bright light engulfed them both as the kid used a blaster that looked eerily similar to Tony’s to get rid of the web. 

The boy - who looked no older than thirteen - bent down and picked up the remains of the web fluid, his curious eyes gleaming under what little moonlight was coming into the room. “Cool, did you make these?”

“Who the heck are you?” Peter asked, scandalized, as he raised his web shooter again, though he wasn’t sure if the kid could actually be a threat. 

“I’m you but cooler,” the kid deadpanned, before starting to cackle after a few seconds, laughing at some inside joke Peter was not aware off. “Dude, put that down, you’re going to wake up your aunt, and neither of us want that.” 

“How do you know I have an aunt? I’m not joking, who are you?” Peter repeated, his voice turning steely. 

The kid just rolled his eyes. “I’m Harley. I’m a friend of Tony’s.” 

Peter’s eyes widened. “You…  _ what?  _ But you’re like… twelve,” Peter said in between aborted motions, sounding genuinely confused.

Harley did not look amused. “First of all, jackass, I’m fourteen. Second of all, I’ll have you know that I’ve actually saved Tony’s life once, and I’m here to fix your mess of a life too, so a little gratitude would be nice.” 

Peter gaped at the young man, first surprised to hear such a young kid cursing - and yeah he knew they all cursed but this kid looked  _ tiny -  _ and also because, if what he was saying was true, then  _ he had saved Tony.  _

Which… okay Peter couldn’t say he was jealous, because, honestly, he would shake the hand of every man and woman that had ever taken a risk to help or protect Tony. But, at the same time, it did taste a little bitter to know he hadn’t yet saved Tony - had never even attempted it. 

“Earth to Peter,” Harley said as he moved closer, snapping his fingers in front of Peter’s face to get his attention. “Listen, kid, I’m here to give you some advice,” Harley said, stretching up to put a hand on Peter’s shoulder. He wasn’t much taller than Harley, but he still had enough inches on him that the image looked ridiculous.    
  
“I’m older than you,” Peter blurted, not sure whether to be offended or not. 

Harley scoffed. “Listen, I met Tony when I was like eight or something so-”

“I met him too!” Peter said, sounding offended. “I mean.. Kind of. I met him at the expo.” 

Harley narrowed his eyes. “I saved his life.”

Peter narrowed his in return. “At eight years old?  _ Really _ ?” 

Harley shrugged. “After the Mandarin, he crashed in my house. I gave him shelter, food, and helped him fix the armor. I also helped him fight off assholes that we're trying to kill us and put back in his reactor which used to keep him alive.” Harley put his hands on his hips, almost as in challenge, before finally saying “Anyway that wasn't the point. The point is I got to him first, kid. I’m practically your senior in  _ Tony Emotional Constipation 101.  _ You got a lot to learn young padawan.”

Peter, yet again, gaped at the younger kid, feeling like he was living an episode straight out of the twilight zone. “I’m… why have I never heard about you before?”

“I don't live here. I’m visiting since I skipped school and Tony knows that if he puts me on a bus back, I’ll just come back in the next one,” Harley said in a what-can-you-do tone, shrugging softly.

“Does Tony even know you’re here?! Harley, he's going to be so mad if-” 

Harley chuckled. “Man you gotta live a little. Don't worry I’ll be back before he can worry too much, and like I said I’m here to give you advice.”

“You never said that,” Peter complained, still on the defensive.

“Yes I did, dumbo, keep up,” Harley said good-naturedly, leaning against Peter's desk. “Anyway, what I came here to say is you gotta be patient with this, okay? He tends to pull away when he’s scared, and he’s scared because he cares so much about you. He’s afraid being around him will put you in more danger and he’s afraid he’s going to fuck you up.” 

Peter felt his mouth dry up. “Listen, I don’t know what-”

“Oh jeez, you’re no better than him at this whole emotion thing, are you,” Harley said as realization dawned on him. “You’re as scared as him.” Suddenly he began laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. “Look, I’m not even gonna go there with you, because we’re not tight enough yet. I’m gonna leave you my number though, okay? And if Tony ever acts like an idiot just text me and I’ll get Rhodey to help me straighten him out,” he said with a mischievous wink that told Peter this kid was up to no good. 

Harley turned around and took the first piece of paper and pen he saw, scribbling down his phone number before handing it to Peter. “Don’t lose it, kid. Trust me, you’ll need me sooner or later.” 

Peter shook his head, finally starting to emerge from his stupor. “Why… Why are you trying to be helpful?” 

“Because you’re the best thing that has happened to him since I came into his life, and that was like eight years ago. He doesn’t get very many good things happen to him, if you haven’t noticed. That’s why he keeps a tight circle, Peter,” Harley said with a shrug.

Peter felt parched. “I… you really seem to know him,” Peter said with a sigh, sitting down on his bed, not sure why he suddenly felt so… bitter. 

Harley rolled his eyes, recognizing jealousy when he saw it. He had been there just a few days ago, after all. “I just… The reason I know him well, that he and I are close even now, is because… well  _ I’m like him,”  _ Harley said, giving Peter a sad smile. “I know how to get through to him when I need to because he does the same for me, but trust me, that’s not always a good thing. He always tell me to be better than him and I didn’t used to get it but I think… I think he just doesn’t want you - or me - to be emotionally constipated like him. Just… “ Harley rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. “Trust me on this one kid, he loves you. So just… fucking text if you need me alright?” 

Peter observed the lanky young teenager for a few seconds, noticing immediately how closed off Harley truly was, even now when offering his hand to Peter, and that was enough to melt Peter. If this kid was willing to go out of his comfort zone for Tony, then so could Peter. And maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to befriend the surly teenager and help him find the best in himself, like Tony had done with him. 

“Thanks, Harley. I’ll definitely text ya,” Peter said with a smile, standing up and offering his hand. 

“Oh my god, you’re so… sweet,” Harley said, his tone making it clear he didn’t think that was a good thing. He shook Peter’s hand regardless, before opening the window to leave.

It was then than Peter finally noticed the propulsors Harley was wearing. “Oh my god, did you take those without Tony’s permission?! Harley!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long. I was in exams AND this chapter is long as hell. Anyway I hope you all enjoy it, and that you enjoy Harley's tidbit ;)


	9. Questioned loyalties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "If the only way for you to get people to do your bidding is through force or intimidation, you are neither a leader nor a boss: you are an asshole.”  
> ― Charbel Tadros

_ I still can’t believe he made you a lab - Stark Jr  _

_ Also you need to stop changing my chat name, Harley - Stark Jr _

_ Why are you so hung up on the lab? - H  _

_ You’re not the boss of me, Junior. - H _

_ Just leave it it’s not like he can see it, calm down. - H  _

_ Fine then I’m changing yours. - Stark Jr.  _

_ You’re a Jackass, Parker - Mr. Potato Gun  _

_ I can’t believe I entrusted you with that story and this is what you do. And they say I’m an asshole. - Mr. Potato Gun _

_ You are. - Stark Jr.  _

_ Am not. I'm perfectly nice and to the point thank you very fucking much - Mr. Potato Gun _

Peter snorted at that, throwing his phone back on his desk as he picked up his math homework again. He wasn't sure why he was giving so much of his time to Harley nowadays, but the younger man’s presence in his life was starting to become a permanent fixture he not only was getting used to but actually enjoyed having around.

He was annoying as fuck, finding at least half of Peter's weak points in less than two days and now looking for clever ways to exploit them. Still, it was undisputable that Harley was as fast, mentally, as Peter and had a vast amount of knowledge in mechanics, physics and organic chemistry. It was always fun to chat with Harley, particularly when Ned was around to add to the conversation. 

That was another thing; he was thinking of making a chat with the two of them in it, which in it of itself was already a terrifying prospect. Because adding Ned meant fully adding this kid into his life - and Peter still didn't know if that was a good idea.

It had been a little over three weeks since Harley had broken into his room at freaking arse o’clock at night without so much as a hey how are you. He hadn't physically seen the boy since then, because he had been sent back home (school came first thank God) by Tony the very next day. Peter still had no idea if the man had ever found out that Harley had come to see him. He also didn't know what had prompted Peter to text Harley - but text him he had.

And while he didn't exactly regret it, he sure as heck hadn't expect for it to snowball into them talking almost as much as he talked to Ned. In a way, it was really inconvenient because it consumed time and the kid had joined forces with Ned - albeit unknowingly - to try to get him to tell MJ that he was spiderman. 

So far both had been unsuccessful, but Peter couldn't deny they had at least some valid points - mainly the fact that, apart from Ned, she was his only true friend, and the girl was probably smarter than all of them combined, even if she rarely allowed others to see her shine. 

On the other hand, having another person in his corner that knew about Spider-Man not only felt good but was really helpful when he went patrolling. Ned wasn't always available, and Harley could cover for Ned when he wasn't. Sometimes - well two times - they had both been there while Peter swung around New York, the boys chatting in the background thanks to the secure three way call Ned had established. 

So, yeah, Harley was a mixed bag and Peter was starting to both love and hate the kid, which Ned had told him was normal within families. 

As if Harley was already family.

“What the hell is my life,” Peter whined aloud, jumping in his chair when his phone rang. 

“Hey Underoos,” Tony said cheerfully from the other end of the line, typing away as he put Peter on speaker. 

The boy couldn't help but smile. “Hey Tony. How are you?” 

“Surprisingly tired. Pepper’s been working me like a dog.” 

Peter frowned. “Weren't you like at a gala yesterday? That doesn't sound like work to me.”

Tony scoffed. “Just for that I’m going to get Pepper to drag you to an event one of these days.”

Peter laughed, half in mirth half in genuine terror. “No, wait, I was joking. I was joking. Don't let her torture me.” 

Tony smiled, shaking his head as he closed his laptop and put it in a slick briefcase, before walking out of the VIP room and onto the terminal. 

“Are you at the airport?” Peter asked as he heard the unmistakable sound of a plane taking off in the background.

“Yes, I’m coming back home today, finally,” Tony confirmed, waving hello to the flight assistant as he walked into his plane.

In the end, he had had to go back to France to meet with potential investors and his tech team. He had pushed the trip for almost two weeks, mostly to make it up to Peter, but pushing it more than that would have been not only a bad business decision but Pepper would have had his head. 

And so he had spent the entire week away, though at least this time he had spoken to Peter for at least a few minutes every day. 

“Pepper decided to steal away your aunt, by the way,” Tony said conversationally. “She's taking her for a two day retreat. So, pack your bags kiddo. You’ll come to stay with me tomorrow after school until Sunday.”

Peter gaped at the air, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “Wait so I’m staying with you for the whole weekend? No way! Can Ned come over?”

Tony smiled, his own excitement growing at the thought that this made Peter genuinely happy. “Of course he can. Hell, have a sleepover if you guys want. I don't mind,” Tony said, trying to keep his tone cool. “Just don't forget to pack your stuff.”

“Is Aunt May coming back today at all?” Peter asked as he pulled away from his chair, going back into the living room to look out the window to search for his aunt.

“Yeah, she has work tomorrow, kid. They're not leaving until the afternoon,” Tony assured him. “Happy will pick you up after school-”

“Wait I promised MJ that I would go with her to this new art gallery that opened in Manhattan, so I can just head back to the tower after we're done. Are we staying at the tower or at the compound?”

“I have a meeting early tomorrow in the city so we might as well stay in the tower,” Tony mused, mostly to himself. “Alright, so I’ll see you at the tower tomorrow, then. Bring your suit. I haven't checked it in two weeks. Also, keep your phone on you at all times, got it?”

“The phone you track like a crazy stalker?” Peter said sweetly half joking half not. 

“Listen kid, you don't even get to talk to me about trackers because last time I let you off on your own you ended up locked up an entire night in a facility controlled by the department of defense and then a few days later you almost burned down Coney Island so-”

“Hey I saved your plane that time!” Peter squealed, offended.

“And got yourself hurt in the process,” Tony deadpanned. “So, no, tracker is a must or I’m having Happy follow you and, trust me, you  _ don't  _ want that.”

Peter suppressed a smirk. He could already hear the long-winded rant Happy would offer him on a daily basis if he ever dared being even more of a pain in his ass. “Yeah, okay, I’ll make sure to have my phone charged and with me.”

“Atta boy,” Tony said with a small smile. “Alright, my plane’s about to take off. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, alright?”

“Yeah, have a good flight, Tony,” Peter said warmly, ending the call once Tony had said his goodbyes. 

He didn't dwell on the happy, at ease feeling currently lodged in his chest after the easy conversation, instead choosing to call Ned.

The boy picked up immediately, his tone as cheerful as always when he said “So who do you think would win in a fight, you or Thor?”

Peter froze for a second, considering the question. “I'm not sure, actually, but I wanna say Thor. I mean he's a god or whatever.”

“Good Answer,” Ned agreed, which, honestly Peter wasn't sure whether to be offended by or not. “So, I heard you're going out with MJ tomorrow,” Ned said in that insinuating voice of his.

Peter frowned. “Yeah we're hanging out, but I mean we're not… we’re not  _ hanging out  _ hanging out, Ned.” 

“Mmmhmm,” Ned said, not sounding very convinced.

“Wait, did she tell you we were going on a date?” Peter asked, eyes wide as he flung himself out of the chair and onto the edge of his bed. 

“I mean kind of,” Ned said, his answer neither here nor there. 

“Dude, what did she say?” Peter pressed, his heart in his mouth. 

“She told me she was hanging out with you today, and I asked her if it was a date - as a joke you know - but then she didn't answer for a bit and then completely changed the subject so I think-”

“Oh my God is it a date?” Peter breathed out, his Friday plans suddenly looking  _ very  _ different. 

“I don't know I thought you knew,” Ned said with a frustrated sight. “Why don't you ask her?” 

“ _ Dude, _ you can't ask a girl that,” Peter whined, suppressing the urge to facepalm. 

“How are you going to find out if it is or if it isn't, then, genius?” Ned asked with a roll of his eyes. 

“I don't know, I’ll ask Tony once he lands or something,” Peter muttered staggeringly nervous and excited all at once. 

“Oh he’s on his way back? Awesome!” Ned said cheerfully, knowing how much his best friend had missed the Avenger. 

“Yeah, I’m staying with him this weekend,” Peter said happily, throwing himself back on the bed as he closed his eyes with the phone still pressed to his ears, his thoughts all on the pretty girl whom he didn't know whether or not he was taking on a date. 

* * *

Peter had not managed to get ahold of Tony before getting to school. Peter had not asked him about dating advice. Peter had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do with MJ. 

“Keep your cool, you got this,” Ned said in a low tone as he walked alongside Peter down the school corridor, the day finally over. “Just say-”

“Ned she’s going to hear us. What-”

“Hey boys,” MJ said as she approached them, having seen them from her locker. “You alright?”

“Fine, yes, great,” Peter said immediately, before swallowing hard. Right, this was not how he had planned to be all smooth and shit. “uh…”

MJ smiled softly, clearly holding back a laugh as she watched Peter struggle with the English language for a few more seconds before finally saying “look, yes, this is a date. I picked the place. It doesn't have to mean anything so stop acting weird. Also we should get going because I'm hoping we can grab a bite to eat after,” she said in a single breath, talking a lot faster than usual.

Peter stood there for a few seconds, gobsmacked, before it finally clicked; she was nervous too. 

“Yeah, yeah okay. Food sounds great,” Peter said after a few seconds, a lovely little smile blooming in his lips. He turned to look at Ned, who had a wide grin on his own face as he looked between the two. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” 

Ned nodded, taking a small step back. “Yup, you betcha. Say hi to Tony for me,” he said as he winked at the two, before all but running off, a grin on his face.

Peter smiled, knowing his friend would grill him for details later, and boy was he  _ not  _ looking forward to that. He looked back at MJ, shuffling uncomfortably for a second, before the girl chuckled and grabbed him by the hand muttering a quick “come on,” before she slammed her locker door shut. 

She let his hand go after a few seconds, once it was clear Peter had enough sense to follow her to the door. They walked past a few of their friends, who, thankfully, didn't notice them and thus didn't have the chance to give them weird looks or wolf whistles. 

Michelle stopped short when they reached the end of the staircase, noticing two men dressed in dark clothes who had earpieces on and dark matching sunglasses. “Peter,” she murmured grabbing his hand again to get his attention. “Do you know them?”

Peter frowned, looking down at MJ before following her gaze. He stilled next to her, shaking his head in the negative. “They don't work for Tony, I’m sure.”

“I’m pretty sure they're secret service, Peter,” she said as she looked away from them, keeping herself from moving her mouth too much. 

“How do you even know that!” He asked, surprised. 

She rolled her eyes. “They are standing next to a non-descript black car that has black-tinted windows and that are clearly bullet proof. They also have little flag pins on their suits, so they're either government agents or really savvy mobsters.” 

Peter gaped for a second before closing his mouth and looking back at them, noticing with slight panic that not only were they staring back but they had started walking in their direction. 

He stepped slightly ahead of his companion, using the hand she had used to get his attention to pull her slightly behind him. He knew she would probably chew him out for acting like this, but honestly, if they were looking for trouble, it was much better if they hurt him than if they hurt her. He could heal fast. She could not. 

“Are you Peter Parker?” One of the two shaded men said as he reached the two teenagers, his tone monotone. 

“Who are you?” Peter said, his eyes hard. It was one thing to deal with bad guys when he was spiderman. It was another very different when people came looking for him as Peter. Spiderman had nothing to lose, while Peter Parker had everyone he loved ready for the taking. 

“I need you to come with me,” the man said politely, though his tone made it clear that it was a command and not a request. 

“Not until you tell me who you are,” Peter repeated, taking one step back when the man took one step forward. 

“The secretary of State is waiting for you in the car,” the man said, a tinge of impatience in his voice. “So, like I said, you need to come with me Mr. Parker.” 

“Ross is here?” MJ said, sounding half angry half surprised. “Well you can tell that mother-”

Peter clamped a hand over MJ, turning to look at her with wide eyes. “Are you trying to get us killed?” Peter whispered, giving her a desperate look. 

She rolled her eyes. “He can’t kill us. It’s against the law, and while he may not be very fond of it,  _ Tony Stark _ is,” she said, loud enough for the man to hear, looking at him as if he was a piece of gum squashed on the street. 

“Oh my god,” Peter said, not even sure what the hell to say to that because yeah he didn’t like Ross either but this was his fucking bodyguard and he  _ really _ didn’t want anything to happen to MJ. “Ok, ok I’ll go with you,” he said, not even looking at the man. He gave MJ an apologetic look. “I’ll make it up to you okay? We’ll go to the gallery another day.” 

She didn’t say anything, a hint of worry flashing through her eyes as the boy was all but pulled away from her. She watched him get into the car, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. She sighed, getting her phone out in a second, keeping her eyes on the black car as she waited for Ned to answer. 

“Please tell me he didn’t do something stupid and you ended your date,” Ned said as a way of greeting. 

“Ned, give me Tony Stark’s phone number, right now,” Michelle said, not even bothering to answer her friend’s question. 

“ _ What? _ ” Ned asked, surprised by the urgency in her voice. “What happened?” 

“Ned,  _ now,  _ I’ll explain later,” she snapped, her mouth going dry when she saw the black car drive away, taking Peter with it.

* * *

Peter stepped into the car with no small amount of trepidation, his heart in his throat. He relaxed slightly when he noticed that it was indeed General Ross and not some mobster out to get him. In all honesty, though, he wasn’t sure which option would have been worse for Peter. 

“Good Afternoon, Mr. Parker,” Thaddeus Ross said, a pleasant smile plastered on his face. “I apologize for all the secrecy, but I’m sure you understand I need to keep a low profile, due to safety reasons.” 

“Um, I’m sorry sir, but what exactly am I doing here?” He asked, because while pleasantries were nice and all, he really just wanted to know what the hell was happening. 

The man smiled again looking up and giving a small nod to the driver, who immediately took off. “Tell me Peter, How long have you known Tony Stark?” The man asked conversationally, sitting back, relaxed, in his seat. 

Peter’s brows shot up. “What?” 

“Well you currently have an internship with him, don’t you?” He asked, looking genuinely curious. “But I assume you met him before that since he doesn’t have any contests available for high school students as young as you, and it seems strange that out of the blue he would allow a kid he doesn’t know as an intern.” 

_ What the fuck.  _

“I met him at one of his expos a long time ago,” Peter said after a few seconds of trying not to freak out. “I emailed him asking about internships. I didn’t think he would remember me but he did, and once he checked my file he offered me a spot.” 

Damn, he would have to remember to tell Tony this made up story, in case Ross asked about it later. 

“I see, but I guess what I’m really curious to know is how is it that you’ve come to be so close to him,” the man said, his eyes sharpening. “I mean, you’ve been spotted together almost every week together - outside of office hours. Why is that?”

Peter gaped. “Why are you asking me all this? We’re not doing anything wrong, if that’s your concern.” 

“It isn’t, but thank you for defending his honor,” the man said with a hint of amusement. 

“Then what is it?” Peter said, sounding a little more rude than intended. Dammit, this man was getting on his nerves. 

“As you might be aware, there are a number of former Avengers currently awaiting to be tried here in the US due to their criminal activity outside of the country. We believe Tony Stark might be able to help us, but at times he’s… less than cooperative. I’m hoping you can help me help justice be served.” The man inched closer, his look turning menacing. “Tony Stark is not who you think he is, Peter, and men as powerful as him need to be watched.” 

“Wait… are you asking me to  _ spy on him _ ?” Peter asked, his blood running cold. 

“It’s not exactly the term I would use, no,” The man chided. “We are asking you to do something important for your government - for a handsome price, of course.” 

Peter gaped, his blood boiling at the man’s daring. “You know, what you’re asking goes against the constitution, right?” Peter asked harshly. “Also, the Accords they signed don’t allow for an invasion of their privacy so you’re going against international law too,” Peter ended, looking more and more furious by the second. “I don’t care who you think he is. Tony is an incredible man, who has done more for people than you ever will and no, I don’t want your filthy money. I will never spy on him, now I want to get out of this car,  _ right now _ .” 

Ross’s demeanor changed, his anger coming off in waves. “You’re threatening our national security-”

“No,  _ you _ are a danger to our national security,” Peter bit out, “let me out of this car!” 

Ross rolled his eyes. “Being uncooperative won’t help you, Mr. Parker,” Ross warned.

“I’m not going to help you,” Peter repeated. “You have no grounds to spy on him, and you also have no grounds to hold me in this stupid car - so, unless the President himself wants to make a trip down to New York to talk to me, you can run along. And even if he does, I will respectfully tell him that I’m not for sale and he can run along right alongside you. Now let me out of this car, Mr. Ross,” Peter said, his tone as hard as steel. “Because if you don’t let me out, Mr. Stark will find out, and you can bet all your filthy money that he’s not going to be pleased.” 

That, at last, seemed to make Ross relent, despite the fact that he looked ready to tear peter a new one and the boy knew, in that moment, that Ross probably had a plan up his sleeve, which made him even more anxious. He needed to talk to Tony, and he needed to talk to him  _ now _ . 

The car came to a screeching halt, forcing Peter to hold onto his seat to not topple over. He did not complain about the rough stop, instead exiting through the side that was not occupied by a bodyguard. He slammed the door shut, careful not to use more strength than a regular human before he jogged away from the car, wanting to go to Tony but knowing Ross probably had someone following him. 

He walked straight to the train station, his senses going into an almost frenetic overdrive as he concentrated on the noises and visuals near him. He kept his eyes closed for the entire train ride, feeling disturbingly on edge until he finally got into Manhattan, where he was able to easily lose himself in the crowds of people. 

He walked around the city for hours with no real purpose other than to lose whoever might be after him. He didn’t want them to know he’d be staying with Tony at the tower, particularly because Ross probably already knew of the tower’s existence, and he didn’t want to bring more attention to Tony’s newest safe space. 

He didn’t stop walking until the sky turned from blue to a lovely shade of pink and orange, letting him know it was probably high time he went to the tower or he’d risk worrying his mentor. He pulled out his phone, cursing internally when he realized that at some point during his long walk his phone had died and he hadn’t even realized. 

He just hoped Tony hadn’t called. Otherwise, he would not hear the end of it. The man absolutely  _ hated  _ it when Peter just dropped off the map, and made it a point to chew the young man out when it happened. Peter clicked on his watch, the little ping letting him know Karen was listening. “Karen, let Tony know I’m on my way to the tower.”

“I have already informed him of your location, Peter,” She informed him. “He turned on your tracker approximately three hours ago.” 

Peter huffed out, not even surprised by that. Boy, was Tony going to be angry at him. But, if he was lucky, the man would let him explain it wasn’t exactly his fault since Ross had fucking thrown all his plans off kilter. “Thanks for letting me know,” he told his AI as he walked to the nearest train station, ready to head home. 

* * *

Tony waited, right hand drumming loudly against the glass table, his form swallowed by the darkness of the room. He had been sitting there for hours, rage and helplessness battling inside him, choking him. 

He had received a call from Michelle early in the afternoon, alerting him of Ross’s presence in their school. She had told him that Peter had left with the man, unable to say anything more for a lack of information. 

The fury he had felt against Ross in that moment had been brutal and all encompassing, bringing him back to the bitter taste he had felt in Siberia. But, unlike in Siberia, Ross had not been nearby for Tony to get a good punch in. No, he had been miles away in a fucking black car with  _ his _ boy. 

More importantly, despite his fury, despite his willingness to don on a suit and fly out to get Peter, he had known then and there that there was nothing he could do until he had more information. Ross had gone after Peter because it was becoming increasingly clearer that Peter was more than just a random kid. And, if Tony went in, guns ablaze, he would only confirm the man's suspicions. 

Thus, to truly keep Peter safe, he had to do nothing. Nothing more than have Friday and Karen on Standby, both available both on Peter’s watch and his phone. They had monitored his vitals, tracked his movements, and made sure he was safe; they had been his eyes and ears, offering at least some degree of comfort in such a situation. 

The moment had stretched, however, into hours of torture where Peter had  _ not  _ called and had  _ not  _ answered and, more importantly, had  _ not  _ come back to the tower. 

It had taken him almost four hours to have Karen talk to him. It had given Tony 4 hours of doing  _ nothing  _ but worrying about Peter. Four hours and counting. 

He stilled his movements when he heard the elevator, trying hard to suppress his fury against Peter that had slowly been building up over the four hours where Peter had conveniently forgotten there was someone biting his nails off in worry. 

Peter froze by the elevator, the darkness of the room an initial shock. His eyes adjusted easily, which, really only made him more wary as he took in Tony’s appearance. The man was in a suit, jacket gone and sleeves rolled up. His hair was messy and his expression was sharp and closed off.

_ Yeah, this was really not good. _

“Hey Tony,” Peter said softly, biting his lip when he saw the man turned his furious eyes to regard him.

“You know, generally when a kid might be in danger danger, they contact their caregivers to let them know they’re okay,” Tony said casually, his tone making it clear he was holding it together by a thin thread.

“I-”

“Four hours, Peter,” Tony snapped, clenching his fingers. “It took you  _ four hours  _ to give signs of life. Four hours where I could do nothing but wait.” He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his now. “Do you even realize how worried… Nevermind, it doesn't matter.” Tony said, clamping down on all possible emotions. “I need to know what Ross told you, Peter, word by word.” 

Peter stayed quiet for a second, surprised both by the anger in Tony’s eyes and the swift clamping down the man had just exhibited. “He wanted me to spy on you. He thinks you know where the other Avengers are, and he said you also need to be watched.” 

“Did he mention you at all? Did he ask why I know you?” Tony asked, his tone almost clinical. 

“He said you didn’t have any contests for kids my age, so obviously I must have met you beforehand. I told him I met you at an expo and that I emailed you about an internship a few months ago.”

“Did he allude to anything about you or your safety?” Tony said, finally getting up. 

“Um, not really? He said I’d regret not cooperating with him, and he offered me money, but-”

“Did you agree to his terms? How much money did he offer you?” Tony asked rapidly, his eyes showing his laser focus. 

Peter gaped at him, looking genuinely hurt. “How can you think I would ever say yes to him? He was asking me to spy on you! I would never do something like that,” Peter said, looking repulsed by the very idea. 

That warmed Tony’s eyes, and he finally stepped closer, some of the tension escaping his eyes. “I wouldn’t think less of you if you gave in to Ross’s demands. Your safety is the priority Peter. And I didn’t think you’d ever go through-” 

Peter looked ready to punch him. He stepped closer, digging a finger into Tony’s chest. “I am  _ never _ going to betray you, especially not for someone like fucking Thaddeus Ross. So don’t ever say… How can you even… You make me so mad sometimes!” Peter snapped, crossing his arms in front of him. 

Tony cradled Peter’s face and stared into his eyes. “Peter, I know you wouldn’t spy on me for money. However, I was asking if you agreed to his terms. Saying yes to get away from a situation doesn’t mean you will actually comply.” 

“Yes it does! My word means something!” Peter huffed, still looking angry.

Tony closed his eyes, knowing there was no point in arguing that point with Peter. While Tony would lie in a heartbeat if it meant keeping his kid safe, he knew Peter would not, even if it mean keeping himself safe. 

“Yes it does, kid. Yes it does,” Tony sighed, taking another step closer. “Come here,” Tony said as he brought Peter in for a hug, patting the back of his head. Peter froze for a second, before clinging to the older man, the day’s emotions finally taking a toll on me. 

“What are we going to do, Tony? Why does he care so much about what you do?” Peter asked, sounding frustrated. 

“Because he’s a power hungry whore, who works in the shadows to get what he wants. But no more,” Tony said, his voice turning steely. “I will deal with it, Peter. Don’t worry, okay? I’ve got it covered.” 

“What are you going to do?” Peter asked, not pulling away from where he was resting his head against the man’s shoulder. 

“I’m going to show him two can play his game,” Tony said simply. “But that’s not important right now. Karen told me you missed a date?” 

“Yeah,” Peter grimaced. “I’ll have to make it up to her. Oh god, this is turning out to be just like Liz.” 

“Liz the girl that ended up being Wacko bird’s daughter?” Tony asked, frowning. 

Peter nodded. “I’m doomed to stand up every single date I have. What the hell is wrong with me?” Peter whined. 

“Yeah, that happens when you’re too busy saving the day to have a life. Well, then you’ll have to take MJ out tomorrow for dinner and then to that gallery you wanted to go to. I’ll make sure no one interrupts you,” Tony said with a wink as he dragged Peter to the kitchen to feed him. 

“How do you even know all these things?” He asked, sounding surprised. 

“Kid, I had  _ four hours,”  _ was all Tony said, as if no other explanation was necessary. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think we all agree we hate ross. This dude is the shadiest mofo and while I am super pro accords, Ross himself should not be fucking secretary of State. 
> 
> Anyway sorry for the delay and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	10. Knowledge is power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Patience is power.  
> Patience is not an absence of action;  
> rather it is "timing"  
> it waits on the right time to act,  
> for the right principles  
> and in the right way.”   
> ― Fulton J. Sheen

Tony bit into his piece of toast, leaning back on his chair. “So, are you telling me that of this entire conversation all you got was that Peter went on a date?” He asked, sounding amused. 

May rolled her eyes, grabbing a sip of her juice before saying “well considering it is his  _ first  _ date, this is a huge deal. I need more details.”

“Does she know about Spider-Man?” Pepper asked before stabbing a piece of her scrambled eggs to bring it to her lips. 

Tony shook his head, washing away the toast with a sip of water. “No, he has not told her, though I’ve been reliably informed that Ned and Harley are working on that.”

Pepper’s eyes widened. “You introduced the two of them?” 

Tony shook his head, a small smile on his lips. “No, I didn't. Harley took a pair of my prototype flight repulsors and used them to go see Peter after I went to talk to him a few weeks ago. I don't know what they talked about,” Tony admitted, before saying “but they have been texting each other ever since.” 

Pepper's eyes shined with curiosity. “Do they know you know?” 

Tony grinned, his smile predatory and his eyes sparkling with mirth. “No, they don't. I figured I needed to be nice to them and let them think they have one upped me at least once in their life.” 

Pepper chuckled, shaking her head softly as she regarded her fiance. “Why do I have the feeling they will pay back with interest in a few years?” 

Tony smiled innocently. “I don't know what you're talking about, honey.” 

“Who is Harley?” May asked taking a sip of her coffee as she looked between the two lovers.

“He’s a kid Tony met a long time ago. Tony crashed into his shed, and then had the kid help him fix his armor,” Pepper explained with a small smile. 

“I also got attacked in his town and they tried to kill him,” Tony said without missing a beat, his tone joking but his eyes holding a trace of years-old fear and regret. 

May raised her brows, slowly letting that sink in. “How old is he?” 

“A year or two younger than Peter, I think,” Pepper said, looking to Tony for confirmation. 

“And when did you meet him?” May asked curiously, not waiting for Tony to confirm or deny.

“Ah, a few years after the expo. When the mandarin tried to kill the president and not a single avenger showed up,” Tony said, his tone mock cheerful. 

“Right, so you’ll have to bring him over soon, because if Peter’s going to be taking someone under his wing-”

“I’m not terribly sure if it’s that or the other way around. Harley can be a bit… forceful and hard to handle,” Tony said slowly. “He’s not someone to worry about, though, I can promise you that. He’s a really good kid, just very angsty. The good thing is that he’s good at dealing with people that, like Peter, have the proclivity to get hurt.” 

“I’d still like to meet him,” May said with a shrug. 

“I’ll make sure he comes during his Christmas break,” Pepper offered with a small smile. “But, I think, we need to concentrate on Ms. Jones, considering Peter wants to date her” Pepper pointed out. 

Both May and Tony nodded. “How did the date go?” May asked Tony, giving him an expectant look. 

“Well, Ross interrupted his date, so they had to reschedule, which sucked because she had to go to the gallery alone and Peter felt terrible about it. But, other than that, they went to the Nuyorican poets cafe to listen to live poetry and as far as he said, they had fun - and no, before you ask, they did not kiss,” Tony said with a put upon sigh. “He freaked himself out and then didn’t know what to do when he left her home, even after I told him exactly what to do, mind you,” Tony said as he smiled to himself, the memory of Peter telling him about his first date as he buried his face in his pillow out of embarrassment while Tony tried to come up with something uplifting to say as opposed to what he had been thinking which had been more along the lines of  _ what the fuck, kid.  _ “Karen said they scheduled another date, so it couldn’t have been that terrible.” 

“Oh my god, he must have been so embarrassed. He’s going to psych himself out again,” she warned Tony. “You need to talk to him and make sure he doesn’t freak out too badly.” 

“Listen, I already tried giving him advice and look how well that turned out,” Tony said, raising his hands as if in defeat. “It’s your turn to try.”

“Well, he  _ is  _ going on a second date, so you must have told him at least something good,” Pepper joked, winking at Tony.  

“Reality is, there’s no right answer for him dating,” May said with a sigh. “I mean, we’ll have to talk to him because he has to understand that if he’s going to date her, he’s going to have less time for Spider-Man - if he wants it to work, that is, and I know he does, because he’s had a crush on Michelle for a few months now.” 

“I think an even bigger problem is the fact she doesn’t know,” Tony countered. “I mean, look, if she knew, even his occasional absences or stand ups would be explainable, but he’ll just come across as an uncaring asshole who doesn’t show up if she doesn’t know why it is that he might not always be there or might cancel last minute.  It already happened once with Toomes' daughter." 

“But then that brings out another question, which is who exactly is it okay to tell about Spider-Man?” Pepper said, taking another sip of her coffee. “Listen I’d love to believe Peter is going to be with this young woman forever, but that’s a little unrealistic. If he goes around telling every girl he dates that he’s Spider-Man that will put his identity at risk and, from everything you’ve told me, not only does he not want the world to know he is Spider-Man, he’s also not emotionally or mentally ready for that. Also, it will make keeping him safe even harder.”  

“But if he hides it, it won’t work, so basically either way he’s screwed,” May summarized, a worried look in her eyes. 

“Well, it will depend on how much Peter trusts this girl,” Tony said, drumming his fingers against his thigh, eyes fixed on the table. “I don't think he should tell everyone, but if it's someone that will be there for him regardless of whether they are together or not, that is loyal to a fault - like he himself is - then that's someone worth keeping around - like Ned, or Harley.”

“How do we know if she’s one of those "someone"? I don't think we can trust Peter's judgement on this. He’s… he trusts too easily, you both know that. He sees the good in people, not the bad. He also can't be objective on this. Do we want to risk his safety?” Pepper asked quietly, looking just as worried as May. 

She, out of the three of them, had interacted the least with Peter, but she knew the boy well as she had spent enough hours both around Tony and around May - both of which could never shut up about the kid. And so she cared for him deeply, and his safety was now her priority - something which Tony most certainly appreciated.

“I will meet with her,” Tony said after a few seconds, his eyes serious. 

He had talked to the young woman here and there before, but he’d never sat down to have a chat. And, while he sometimes misjudged character - Steve and Obadiah being the two most bitter examples that sprung to mind - he generally was very good at telling who was genuinely loyal and who was there for either a gain or simply did not deserve his trust. So far, Michelle hadn’t made him raise any red flags, but he sure as hell didn’t feel like he had enough information to just tell Peter that it was okay to tell her. 

“I can have her over, if you-”

Tony shook his head. “I want to meet with her without Peter there. I know she doesn’t know me and so there’s only so much I will be able to see, but I need to be able to assess her alone.” 

May nodded. “Well, once you meet with her, I do think it’s important for us to meet with Peter, since, at the end of the day, this is his decision to make.” 

Tony sighed. “Yeah, that’s exactly the problem.” 

May laughed, as always touched by Tony’s unfailing concern for her nephew. “It’ll be alright Tony, I’m sure we’ll figure it out. Now, you mentioned something about the Secretary of State before?” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “I still cannot believe we talked about Peter dating before talking about fucking Ross. You two need to get your priorities checked out,” Tony said in a half joking, half accusatory tone. 

It was Pepper’s turn to roll her eyes. “As if you didn’t already have the issue with Ross figured out. I know you, Tony, you probably already have set a plan into motion.” 

Tony grinned at her before giving her a wink. “Well, you know me so well honey.” 

May frowned. “He’s the Secretary of State Tony, there’s not much you can do,” May reasoned

“Actually there’s a lot I can do,” Tony said cheerfully. “I’ve been playing ball with him only because the accords, while not perfect, are important and because I wasn’t desperate enough to play all my cards when the accords were slammed on us. Obviously he doesn’t control them, but he does have clout in the United Nations since he’s the secretary of state, so having him on our side has been very important when proposing amendments to the current version of the resolution they are trying to pass. However, I’ve run out of patience,” Tony said in a curt tone. 

He was okay with the man coming after him in his backwards scheming ways as much as he wanted, but this - the threatening of his family - was taking it a step too far. This was the proverbial land in the sand being crossed, and Tony sure as hell was not going to stand for it.

“Ross has a lot of dirt that he has hidden over the years, but there’s only so much you can hide before someone finds something,” Pepper explained easily. 

“I have years worth of records he has tried to seal. Of course, for them to be admitted into trial they have to be lawfully obtained which, honestly, not everything I have has been lawfully obtained, but the majority of them are - so it’s just making a few calls to the head of the FBI and to the President and Ross’s career will go down the drain,” Tony said easily, a dangerous smile on his face. “However, I still have a few uses for him, so I think a little chat will do -  _ for now. _ ” 

May looked at him with a hint of surprise, remembering belatedly, albeit not for the first time, that this man was not just the excitable, sweet, overstressed and overworked inventor that had come into their lives to change them forever for the better. This was  _ Tony Stark _ , business magnate, genius, billionaire, who, if Peter was to be believed, had cracked into the Pentagon as a child. This was the new head of the still recovering Avengers; this was  _ Iron Man.  _ And  _ no one _ messed with Iron man - not without paying the consequences for such high an insult. 

And, yeah, she could see it now. She could see why Ross didn’t want Tony around. What the man hadn’t realized, however, was that by trying to control Tony he had signed his own doom. In a way, it made May pity the man. If Tony’s cold, calculating fury was anything to go by, Ross was not going to enjoy this ride.

* * *

“You know, I gotta say, I quite like Adichie’s lecture on the single story,” Tony said as he sat down quietly, holding a green smoothie in hand. 

Michelle looked to her side, surprised to find Tony Stark, still clad in a three piece suit, sitting next to her in the middle of Corona park. “I’d say I don't see you as someone that would like her work, but I guess that would be proving her point,” Michelle said without missing a beat, still feeling thrown off but refusing to show it. 

Tony nodded with a small smile playing on his lips, his eyes on the lake as opposed to the young woman seated next to him. He could still see her profile, her legs drawn up to her chest with a book resting against them. She had no qualms about openly staring at him, clearly waiting for an explanation as to why Tony was here - not that she minded the man's presence. She just wasn't sure what to expect yet.

“First I wanted to thank you,” Tony said calmly, finally turning his gaze on her. 

She frowned. “For what?”

“For calling me when Ross came to your school,” Tony said quietly, his eyes turning cold even at the mention of the man.

She smiled and nodded. “Well, I figured you were the one that was most capable to keep him safe. I wasn't super convinced about you before, but I can see how much you care about him and how far you would go to keep him safe.” She shrugged. “So I guess I should be thanking you too.”

Tony felt something warm spread through him as Michelle’s quiet validation hit him straight in the face. He had never been given validation as a child, and, as an adult, the validation he had received had often been given by those that wanted something from him. There were only five people that had ever offered him their true trust and validation and so Michelle's words hit a little close to home, because it was one thing to think of himself as Peter's protector and another very differently to be accepted as such by those that were close to the boy. 

Tony cleared his throat, his eyes back on the water. “Yes, well, he’s a good kid, and, really, I have to keep him safe from the dangers that I bring into his life,” Tony said as that explained why he did so much for the boy.

Michelle hummed. “But that's the thing isn't it? He isn't just a good kid. He’s  _ your _ kid, who happens to be a good one,” she said knowingly, unafraid to face the truth straight on. “And yeah, his life is significantly more dangerous now that you two are linked, but… well, he’s happier and I don’t know you, but you look more relaxed than you were a few months ago in the pictures from the press.”

Tony nodded, biting his tongue to keep himself from saying  _ that’s because a few months ago one of my dearest friends rammed my father’s shield into my chest.  _

Tony hummed, neither agreeing nor denying, instead saying “I heard Ross's involvement ruined your date the other day - sorry about that.” 

The young woman smiled and shook her head. “It’s alright, honestly I’m just glad Peter got out of there safely. No offense, but I don’t trust that asshole.”

“None taken, I don’t trust him either,” Tony said easily. “No one does.” 

“Is there any way we can keep Peter safe?” She asked, knowing that while she didn’t have the power to stop Ross, she sure as hell could help Tony keep the dumbass she loved alive. 

Tony smiled at her. “No, there’s nothing you can do. But don’t worry; I will make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Tony said simply, leaving the threat hanging in the air, his tone making it clear that even if she asked, he wouldn’t tell. “Now, I guess what you’re really wondering is why I’m here interrupting you while you read,” Tony ventured, turning slightly to face her. 

Michelle hummed. “Well, I was surprised to see you, I’m not gonna lie, but I think the answer’s pretty obvious once you put two and two together.” She turned around, putting her legs down softly as she stared right into Tony’s eyes. “You came here to talk to me about Peter because you know I went on a date with him and you have huge fucking control issues so you need to size me up because you’ve probably already made the assumption that one day I’m going to hurt him.” 

Tony forced himself not to gape, instead taking the time to catalogue everything about the young woman, analyzing her posture and gaze. “You might one day hurt him, or he might one day hurt you,” Tony said eventually. “He’s not a regular kid, Ms. Jones, not now that his name is tied to mine. His life has changed forever.” 

Tony did not mention that the real reason wasn’t so much that Peter was tied to Tony, but rather that Peter was tied to Spider-Man. The boy would never again be safe due to the simple reason that by definition, he would be risking his life on a daily basis for the rest of his life. And that, therefore, meant he would never be able to have a normal meaningful relationship. He would either drive it to the ground with lies, or the other person would have to accept not only the fact that their loved one could die at any minute but also that said loved one would always have a bigger priority - saving the world.

“We both know that’s not really why he’s not a regular kid,” Michelle said quietly, turning away to look at the water alongside Tony. 

Tony stilled, his eyes not leaving her frame. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Of course you do. You made him his suit, after all,” she said with a small smile, her voice free of judgement. 

Tony hummed, both surprised and completely nonplussed by the turn of events, because, in just the little time he knew this young woman, he could already tell just how brilliant and, more importantly, how loyal she was. 

“Have you told him that you know?” Tony asked, turning to look at the water as well. "Actually, how do you know?"   


She shook her head, looking down at the cover of the book she was holding lightly in her hands. “He has not confided in me, which means he’s either not comfortable talking about it with me, or he doesn’t trust me enough.” She shrugged, not letting the sting of Peter’s actions show in her tone. “Either way, that’s his private business, so I’m not going to get involved unless he asks me to. And I know because... well it's not that hard to put two and two together when you're observant." 

“And yet, even when you knew he hasn’t been honest with you, you went on a date with him. Why?”

She bit her lip and shrugged again. “I don’t like it that he doesn’t trust me with his secret, but in a way I do get it” she said after a few seconds, her voice barely above a whisper, “besides that doesn’t make him any less… well, good. You of all people should know how hard it is to find genuinely good, kind hearted people in this world.” 

“One in a billion,” Tony confirmed, a small, private, bitter smile blooming on his face. “Ms. Jones, you need to understand-”

“Michelle,” she interrupted quietly. “Or MJ. My friends call me MJ.” 

“And do you consider me a friend?” Tony asked curiously.

“You’re Peter’s mentor, so at the very least you’re not a foe,” she teased quietly, her lips twitching with a smile. 

“Well then, Michelle, there’s something crucial you need to understand; being close to Peter will never be easy. Being in a relationship with a superhero, whether it be romantic or platonic, will always involve a fair share of heartbreak and anger and worry. A hero, more often than not, carries the weight of the world on their back, and a hero like Peter believes it his personal duty to not only carry that weight assigned to him but those of others too,” Tony explained, his tone pained. “And it’s vital that you understand this because while you two might just be good friends right now, if this relationship of yours ever goes further… well, like you said, I’d rather not see either one of you get hurt.” 

Michelle remained quiet for a while, focusing on the stillness of the world around her. “I can’t pretend I know what this shit will be like. I mean, yeah, I can say I get just how fucked up this will be sometimes, but truth is knowing and living it are two different things, but… I’m not going to pull away just because shit is hard. Life is hard, that’s just part of it all.” 

Tony hummed, neither agreeing nor denying. For a second, he wished he could allow her to take just a glimpse at his life, at the gruesome reality of it all. But of course he couldn’t and, in many ways, it was better that he couldn’t for if he was honest, he had been dealt a few more bad cards than was usual, and his traumas were not something he would wish upon anyone. Both Peter and Michelle were so young still… and they had to make their own way. Tony could want to protect the kid all he wanted, but, at the end of the day, he needed to let Peter fight his battles and make his mistakes too. It was the only way the boy would learn and grow.

“You should talk to Peter, Michelle,” he said eventually as he got up, his tone that of a close friend giving advice. “Keeping secrets in a relationship - any relationship but particularly a romantic one - is not healthy. Yes, he has a reason why he hasn’t told you, but you already know and you two need to  _ talk that out.  _ If the foundations of your relationship are mistrust and miscommunication, it will wreck everything, including your friendship and you will end up hating each other while wallowing in far too many regrets to do anything about it. Trust me, I speak from experience,” Tony said, a bitter smile on his face. 

Michelle swallowed hard, not having expected the man to impart on her such a personal piece of wisdom. “Mr. Stark-” she called just as Tony began walking away, unable to let the conversation end on such a morose note. “I…” She stopped, suddenly unsure what to say, which was strange considering she always had something to say. 

“Enjoy the rest of the book, Ms. Jones,” Tony said with a wink, not needing her to say anything else. With that he turned around and walked away, leaving as quietly and as elegantly as he had first come. 

* * *

“Mr. Stark, what a pleasant surprise,” Thaddeus Ross groused from where he sat in his office, his pen stilling in his hand. He looked up after a few seconds, having noticed Tony long before the man had even opened the door. 

“Hello, General,” Tony said in an overtly sweet tone - a sharp contrast to his ice cold eyes. “How are things in Capitol Hill? Still as soulless as usual?” 

The man gave Tony a sharp smile as a response. “I imagine this is not a social call? You are a busy man too, after all, Mr. Stark.” 

“That I am,” Tony admitted as he came to sit down, swiftly undoing the button of his jacket to reveal a silky looking waistcoat that probably costed more than the entirety of Ross’s office. “I came because it’s come to my attention that you have been a naughty boy recently, my dear Iago,” Tony said intertwining his fingers atop his crossed legs.

Ross raised a dangerous brow, but otherwise offered no comment. 

“You know, I have tried my best to play ball with you,” Tony said as he leaned back on his chair. “I was the first to sign the accords, and I was the one that has been dealt, for years, with the PR fallout of the creation of the Avengers.” 

“Am I supposed to thank you for acting as damage control for the horrible things your team has caused due often to poor management and a misplaced sense of grandeur?” The man asked incredulously, a hint of mockery in his voice. “PR wouldn’t have been necessary if the avengers wouldn’t have been formed in the first place.”

“There would be no earth if we hadn’t been formed in the first place,” Tony snapped. “Don’t forget about New York, general.” 

The man sighed. “Yes, yes, of course, how could I forget about the saviors of New York,” the man said, his tone bored. “But take New York out of the equation and every other problem has been exacerbated by you lot. Look at Sokovia, look at Lagos, look at London and Germany. Need I go on?” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “I am not here to argue the validity of the accords. I have already agreed that we need management and greater accountability, but there’s a difference between honest accountability and your own personal grab for power,” Tony noted, eyes hard. “Do you really think I don’t know what you’re trying to do, General? I know you, Ross. I know everything about you.” 

“I would consider your next words long and hard, Mr. Stark. Don’t mistake my amicability with you so far for permission to be disrespectful,” the man warned sharply. 

“And don’t mistake my purposeful inaction for ignorance or weakness, Ross,” Tony half growled. “You ask for respect and yet you go behind my back to try to get one of my interns to spy on me. You tried to use a fucking  _ minor _ , Ross,” Tony seethed, his tone carefully controlled to not show just how fucking  _ angry _ he was. 

“And you keep trying to protect criminals by hiding their location and destroying any ounce of progress we make,” Ross snapped. 

“I already told you I don’t know where they are, and no I am not going to bother looking for them because that’s not my damn job!” Tony snapped, clenching his hands involuntarily.

“And you’re going to tell me you weren’t in siberia too? Who do you think you’re talking to, Stark, a child?!” The man suddenly banged his hand against his desk, looking furious. “If you think you can play games with me, Stark-”

“You know what? I’m done,” Tony said, his face free of emotion. “You want to stop the game? Fine, then let me put it this way, Ross,” Tony said coldly, his eyes looking dangerous. “You can try to get me off the map all you want, that’s fine. I will always be one step ahead of you there, buddy, but going after minors that happen to work with me is simply not gonna fly. So you will leave Parker out of this, and you will stop bothering me about your precious rogue Avengers, or you might just find that all your dirty secrets that you have tried to cover up for years might come back to haunt you.”

“Is that a threat, Stark?” The man said, a hint of amusement in his voice. 

“No, it’s a fact. I cracked the pentagon when I was in middle school, Ross. Do you really think it was hard to find your records? You might have tried to burn them all, but there’s always a copy left somewhere, Ross, and I have all of them,” he said as he pressed something on his watch, making a hologram pop up. “I know every one of your dirty little secrets - including the mass murders in foreign countries that have been performed under your orders.” 

Ross’s eyes widened as he watched the fast moving documents, the holograms coming to cover his office wall to wall, acting as an information barrier between himself and Tony. “Do you think you’re the only one that can use information to his advantage? I can have you out of a job and in a maximum security prison in weeks if I want to,” Tony said as he stalked closer, coming around the desk. He smiled, a slightly crazed smile that made him look more predator than human. “We both are good at playing games, Ross, and yes, you are indeed secretary of state, but I am  _ Tony Stark.”  _

He finally pulled away, fixing his jacket as he walked closer to the door. “I will see you at the gala tomorrow, Ross, and, remember, leave my interns out of this,” Tony growled before slamming the door shut, leaving an utterly bewildered Ross behind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I had sooo many exams and had no time to write. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it!


	11. A formula gone wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Welcome to the wonderful world of jealousy, he thought. For the price of admission, you get a splitting headache, a nearly irresistable urge to commit murder, and an inferiority complex. Yippee.”   
> ― J.R. Ward

Norman Osborn walked confidently down the hall of the top floor of his corporation, a small playboyish smile playing on his lips. A young woman walked next to him, talking quietly as she listed off all the events they had scheduled for the day. Whether or not she noticed that Norman did not seem to be paying attention, she didn’t show, which Norman was grateful for. 

It wasn’t that he wasn’t paying attention to her - he was, of course he was. He always paid attention when it came to his business, but he couldn’t give her all of his attention. He simply couldn’t. It was hard for him to concentrate on a single thing; it had been a problem for him since he had been a child. He had too much energy, too many ideas alway running wild in his mind, and he couldn’t quite shut them down no matter what he was doing. 

The only times where he could truly say he could pour all of his attention into something was when he was inventing. He loved going into the lab and either inventing new weapons and technologies or new enhancers also meant for battle. 

Of course, the latter was his true pride and joy, and also his deepest secret. For years he had worked solely on developing weapons but, when Tony fucking Stark had finally managed to be perceived as the greater weapons maker, he had been forced to explore other realms of weapons manufacturing where he could map uncharted territory and build an empire. 

For years he had looked into different things; from biochemical weapons to better defensive equipment (which, while boring, was also very profitable). But all of that had fallen to the way side when one Steven Rogers had been recovered, still breathing after decades of being buried alive in a rock of solid ice. He had gone back and read everything he could find on the experiment performed on the man, sure that the experimentation done on the man was his ticket to a new way of waging war. 

Because while he didn’t think the formula used on Captain Rogers was exactly replicable, the basis for the experiment was there. Biochemical enhancements that acted on a molecular level were the future. Norman was sure of it. 

He even had proof of that in the experiment performed by Aldrich Killian. His extremis invention had been kept mostly under wraps and any lasting samples had been disposed of thanks to Tony Stark’s meddling, but Norman was nothing if not a fastidious investigator. He had not been able to uncover the formula, but he had found out enough videos on its effects and side effects.

So, whether people like Tony Stark liked it or not, enhancements were the future of war, and to make sure the future came sooner rather than later, Norman had made it a goal for himself to create a pseudo serum himself.

If he could find a safe way to enhance a human’s natural abilities - i.e acute hearing, strength, cellular regeneration - then he could create a perfect brand of soldiers. 

Of course, he would have to make sure to have safe fails in place - in case a soldier went rogue or he needed extra leverage when trading - but before even thinking of a counter-measure he needed to create the proper formula. And while he was sure he would find it eventually, it was taking too damn long. He wanted to boost sales now, and, if he was being honest with himself, he wanted the recognition that would come from creating the perfect soldiers.  

Not ten years ago the Stark name, while obviously a famous household name, did not exactly scream heroism. It screamed death and blood money, but since Stark’s 180° change into the superhero business, the man had found recognition like no one before him. The already acclaimed weapons manufacturer had become the perfect little savior of New York. Not that his new position hadn't come with hate - there were millions around the world that wanted Iron Man and the Avengers gone, but love him or hate him people couldn't stop thinking about Tony Stark. 

And Norman didn't want what the man had, not exactly. He didn't want to be a hero, not the way Stark was. He didn't feel the need to stupidly jump in between a nuke and a damn city. He believed there was a better way; he preferred to play the master puppeteer as opposed to the puppet. He could be hailed a hero for creating a regimented, specialized force meant to protect the people. 

The Avengers, as the world had already declared, were too out of control. They did what they wanted, whenever they wanted it. And they had fallen hard and fast for their stupidity, but Norman wasn't a fool; he knew they would be needed again one day, whether because of an internal need or an extraterrestrial threat, he couldn't say, but he wanted to be ready for when the Avengers came. 

Because he wanted to be able to provide an alternative to needing them. A disciplined task force controlled by a government elected by the people seemed like an alternative to him - and to many people, he was sure. By providing a force he would turn the Avengers into an obsolete piece of the past, and Stark would finally fade into the background. It would usher in a new age of peace. 

Norman smiled to himself. He didn't consider himself a particularly hateful or jealous person, but he couldn't deny he was dying to see Tony Stark finally beaten and broken, without a team, without a weapon’s empire, and without the love of the masses the idiot so clearly craved. 

It was a silly rivalry that had started with the hero when the idiot had still been a kid - a barely turned teenager already in MIT - and Norman had been a graduate student. They had hated each other from the very first day, and Norman had vowed to put Stark in his place one day.

And no, Norman didn't want the fucker dead; he could still acknowledge that Stark had done much for the planet, no matter how much he hated him. He just wanted people to see Stark for what he was; an arrogant, moderately good inventor who was too far up his own ass to actually be what the world painted him to be. 

“Sir?” Norman’s secretary said stepping close to his desk, her eyes slightly worried. “Sir are you alright?”

Norman suddenly looked up, belatedly realizing he had stopped paying attention completely long ago. Heck, he hadn't even realized he had seated down. “Sorry, Ms. Francine, I got lost in thought. I want today's scheduled revised. Cancel my afternoon meetings and schedule in my lab hours for today.”

The woman's brows shot up. “But sir, you are meeting with investors today. I don't think I can-” 

The man rolled his eyes. “I'd they're investors, then they should be happy I am personally working on projects that will better the company,” he argued, though he knew his perpetually annoyed assistant would not see it quite like that. He sighed and then smiled. “Fine, then squeeze all meetings between twelve and four. I want to be at the lab by four thirty at the latest, is that clear?”

The woman sighed but nodded, knowing the stubborn man was only conceding because it was her doing the asking. “Sir, another thing. It’s Ms. Parker’s birthday in two days time. I have ordered your usual present, but you haven't signed it yet. Would you like me to-”

“Oh fuck, I had forgotten,” the man groaned, shaking his head at his own obliviousness. 

He had spent his entire free time in the lab for over two years now, and had allowed any and all friendships he cherished to take a back seat and gather dust. It wasn't particularly pleasant to isolate himself, but, he had done what he had had to do and, really, he couldn't even complain about the results.

He was almost 100% sure he was on the brink of a breakthrough - hence why he couldn't wait until tomorrow to get to the lab. 

“I will bring her the gift myself tomorrow. Just clear my evening. Oh and keep the lab open; I’ll come back to work after I take her and Peter out for dinner.”

The young woman nodded, smiling softly to herself. The man had first established a friendship with May Parker six years ago, soon after she had taken custody of her nephew. She had been - and still was - a reporter and so she had scheduled an interview with Norman Osborn all those years ago.

How or why the man had become interested in her and her life, Welma didn't know. All she knew was that the man cherished May and her nephew like family, despite the fact that he didn't see them often, nor did he know more about them than the usual person. Though, considering how shallow most of Osborn's relationships were, then perhaps it wasn't that hard to see why May was important. The man had shared more of himself with her than he had with his own wife while she had been alive - and so one of Welma’s tasks was to make sure the friendly relationship with May Parker didn't completely die off. 

So far she had somewhat successfully achieved this, though she wasn't sure how much longer May Parker would continue answering to Welma's calls or to the presents Norman's secretary sent on his behalf. Welma didn't want to be here the day the woman finally found someone to settle down with. Norman would be positively furious. 

He refused to get too close to people and yet he went berserker if they dared replace him. Not that they replaced him, rather he felt replaced for some reason or another. Either way, she did not want the man to feel that way when it came to May and her nephew. She liked the two and she couldn't bear to think what Norman would do if they disappeared from his life.

It would be detrimental for Norman for, often, they reminded him that he was still human, that he still felt, and talked, and ate, and breathed and existed. They reminded him that  happiness wasn't always about material possessions. And he in turn provided comfort, and safety whenever he came around. Not to mention, the man was a dangerous one to have as an active antagonist.

So yes, Welma very much wanted to see those relationships succeed, if only to protect the young Peter Parker who - much to Welma's dismay - was currently working for SI Industries; aka, the biggest competition for Oscorp, something her boss didn’t know about… yet. 

* * *

Norman sat in the back of his car, the partition between himself and his driver drawn all the way up. He seemed lost in thought, the quietness of the car only broken by the little trickling sounds the vial in Norman’s hand made every time Norman shook its contents. 

The sleeve of his left hand was rolled up slightly above his elbow, and his skin had been rubbed clean in preparation. He took out a needle from his pocket and injected it into the vial, extricating from it the precious transparent liquid. He brought the syringe up to eye level, half holding his breath as he continued to stare at the liquid like he had been doing for the past twenty minutes. It was strange to know that years and years of work had concluded in the small quantity of the clear liquid currently in the syringe - well this formula and the other solution he would have to use later.

Of course, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure the formula would work, but this was as good as it was going to get without using a human test subject. He had been refining his formula for years; this was as refined as it was going to get and he was very confident it would not fail him. Still, despite how his closest employees usually teased him about having no heart due to his harsh testing methods and little remorse over injuries caused to others, he wasn’t enough of an asshole to test this formula on anyone but himself. If it went wrong, he figured it was his job to pay for his calculative mistakes, and, if it ended up being as great as he expected, then who was more deserving than him to have this power since, after all, he had made the serum in the first place.

With that grandiose thought in mind he tensed his arm and injected the needle right into his vein, watching with fascination as the liquid disappeared into his body. His veins popped slightly immediately, turning blue and then pale green. 

He touched his veins with an almost sick fascination, quickly taking a picture of the most prominent ones before taking out his journal and jotting down a few quick notes. He would have to examine any side effects before using the next solution for this one was not only much milder, but was only the building blocks for the real serum that he had prepared. 

“Sir, we’re here,” his driver said as the car came to a halt. 

Norman hadn’t even realized the man had partially lowered the tinted glass between them.

“Thank you,” Norman said a little stiffly, quickly putting all his things away in a small, labeled bag which he then threw into his suitcase. He opened the door of the car without difficulty, still feeling no change or any noticeable side effects. He made sure his briefcase was secured, before grabbing the bouquet of flowers sitting on the seat next to his own as well as a beautifully wrapped present. 

He closed the door with a slight push of his hips, a small smile gracing his lips as he made his way into the old looking building. He ignored the open elevator, preferring instead to take the stairs two at a time as a way to burn at least a tiny bit of his quickly building energy. For a second he was reminded of his early years, when he used to have the worst sugar highs, running around his house for hours on end, half the time being chased away by the maids or his parents.

No one had ever wanted to play with him then, so he had learnt to let out his energy in other ways; mostly through games, physical training and chasing around other kids in his neighborhood. 

Obviously he could do none of those things now, so the stairs would have to do for now and hopefully later, once he left the Parker's home, he would go for a run. With that calming thought, he forced himself to still after knocking on the door, a smile already plastered on his face by the time someone answered. 

May smiled, clearly a little surprised. “Norman! Oh my gosh, hi!,” She blurted, clearly not having been expecting the man. “I… what are you doing here?”

The man raised a brow, but stepped closer, offering the woman a hug. “Sorry, I forgot to tell my assistant to tell you I was coming. But, you didn't seriously think I would not come see you for your birthday?” The man asked, sounding slightly offended. 

“Norman I haven't seen you in over two years,” May pointed out, though not unkindly.

The man half grimaced. “Sorry, I have been working on a rather delicate project. But I’ve finished it now, so I’ll have more time now. Also… well, I brought you a present,” the man said simply, offering it as a peace offering. 

May smiled again. “Well that's very nice of you, thank you,” she said as she took it from him, moving to the side to allow him in. 

The man nodded, acknowledging her thanks, before taking his coat off. “I was actually wondering if you wanted to go have dinner - unless you have plans already, that is.”

May gave him an apologetic smile. “Well I was making dinner before but then I got busy and burned the pasta. So Peter and I decided to order in. The food got here a few minutes ago, actually. You can stay and eat with us, though. We ordered more than usual,” she said before he could protest, leaving him in the living room as she went to the kitchen to pick up a plate and cutlery for their guest. 

“Hi Mr. Osborn,” Peter said as he came out of his room, having heard the man coming as soon as he walked into the building. He gave the man a shy smile, not sure what the proper way to greet him was. 

He had met the businessman when he was around eight, but he hadn't seen the man in over three years, as the last time the man had met May, they had gone for lunch without Peter. The man had always been rather nice to Peter, always offering a gift or a kind smile when he saw the boy, and Peter had always appreciated that, but, truth be told, the man had never really peaked Peter’s curiosity, so he had never been overtly talkative with the man. The man had tried, of course, to create a good relationship with Peter -why, Peter still didn’t know - but, now that he was older and hadn’t seen the man in years, he really had no idea what to say or what was expected of him.

“Goodness, you’ve gotten big!” The man said, grinning at Peter as he brought him closer to give him a half hug. 

Peter froze, his hair suddenly standing on edge as something inside him made him want to crawl out of his own skin. He had no idea what was happening, or why the hell his body was reacting like this, but it probably had to do something with his powers which meant he really needed to go and talk to Tony because neither knew the extent of his abilities just yet and whatever this was the man would probably want to know.

“Peter you okay?” May asked when she brought the food out, noticing how stiff the boy was, and how inhumanely still he was. 

That, thankfully, seemed to snap Peter out of it, though the hair on his arm did not go down. “Yeah, I’m fine, sorry, I just remembered I haven’t finished my… uh… a project I was working on at my internship,” he finished lamely, half of him wanting May to understand that this was about Spider-Man and a part of him struggling to talk about it without sounding too obvious. 

May frowned but nodded, clearly understanding Peter's double entendre but not liking it one bit. Norman looked between the two of them a soft frown on his face. “Aren't you a bit young for an internship?”

“well I just started my junior year, so, I mean, a few of my friends have internships too,” Peter said with a shrug, uncomfortable with having to try to make up even more lies.

“You're in a specialized high school, aren't you Peter? I remember your aunt mentioning that you had gotten accepted last I talked to her,” Norman said genially as they all sat down to eat.

Peter nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

The man nodded. “Well then that means at least you're smarter than the average kid,” the man said teasingly.

“He’s in the decathlon team, so yes, he’s a smart pants,” his aunt said, her gaze falling lovingly on her nephew.

The man hummed thoughtfully. “Well it’s good that you do. Not a lot of smart people go into the sciences, unfortunately,” the man confessed, an angry look crossing his features and for a second Peter was sure the man had someone specific in mind. "So, do you like your school? Do you like the sciences?”

“Yeah, it's an awesome school, and yeah I like STEM subjects but… well, I don't know I might just go into photography or something like that,” Peter ended awkwardly, not sure how the man would take that considering his previous comment.

“Photo-  _ oh _ ,” he said, understanding reaching his eyes as he looked towards May, who was busy answering a text. “I see, so you want to take after your aunt then? Well journalism isn't a  _ terrible _ profession, I suppose,” the man said, though he sounded anything but  sure.

May rolled her eyes. “I can hear you, you know?” May said as she put her phone back down on the table before picking up her phone. 

The man chuckled. “Well, if he has a gift for the sciences, I just think he shouldn’t waste it, but that’s just the opinion of a third party, Peter. You don’t have to listen to me,” the man said with a wink, though his tone made Peter feel like the man would probably be personally offended if he didn’t, in fact, listen. 

“I just… love photography,” Peter said evasively, not about to explain that actually he had come up with his career option due to his after-hours job. If he could indeed work for a newspaper, then being Spider-Man would be a whole lot easier to hide, if he was ever caught near a crime scene. Also, he really did love photography, and Tony was actively encouraging that. 

The man had promised Peter he could continue learning with Tony about anything and everything he wanted, regardless of what career he chose, which meant Peter was free to pursue photography if he so wished. Not that he was going to tell Norman Osborn all that.

“We all have different passions, I suppose,” the man said quietly before turning to look at May. “So, how have you been May? I’m sorry it’s been so long.” 

“We’ve been great,” she assured him, a hint of surprise still in her eyes. “Not much has changed - well I was promoted. I still cover a few stories, but I’m one of the editors now so I get a bit more say on what we write about and what pieces get to my desk, which is nice. I also get home a little earlier, which is also nice.”

The man’s brows shot up, but he smiled. “You should have texted me! Congratulations. You deserve it.” He said honestly, half tempted to reach out and hug her, but he held back, knowing they had never been close enough for that, nor did he want to be misinterpreted, least of all in front of the woman’s nephew. 

He liked her - hell, he could even say he had harbored a crush on her for a good year or two before getting mostly over it. He was also strangely fond of her nephew. They didn’t know each other terribly well, but ever since he had met Peter he had wanted to be there for the boy to offer guidance. Peter reminded him of his own son, and so he had hoped to be a bit like the father that they boy clearly didn’t have. 

Sadly, he had lost almost three years of Peter’s life, but, he was still very young, and Norman still had many years to guide him and - hopefully - drive out the silly notion of something like photography. 

“You could have texted too,” May pointed out as a defense. “Anyway, that doesn’t matter now. How are you? What have you been up to?” 

“I’ve been working on a new project. I can’t tell you much about it, since we’re still testing and well… it’s confidential,” the man said with a wink. “But, we think this project will finally erase the damage Stark did to our company years ago and put us back on top. Perhaps we might even teach him a thing or two about humility, come to think of it.” 

Peter froze, surprised by the sudden change of demeanor in the man. There was something… almost dangerous about the way his eyes were glinting. “What do you mean… I thought you made weapons?” 

“I do,” the man confirmed, looking curiously at Peter. 

“But Tony doesn’t produce weapons anymore. He stopped producing weapons years ago. He concentrates on renewable energy sources and other breaking edge technology,” Peter blurted as if he had swallowed the Stark Industries’ introductory catalogue.

“Stark and his company were a key part of the military-industrial complex for decades, Peter. He was my main competitor for years, and - since the idiot never liked me - he made damn sure to target Oscorp’s profits directly by taking deals that would have gone to us otherwise. Besides, even now he’s still part of the complex as he has many defense contracts as he seems to be under the assumption we’re going to be attacked at any minute,” Norman said with derision, his absolute hate for the man clear in his voice. 

Peter bit his tongue, his first instinct being to protect Tony against the man’s acidic tone and accusations. “Well I don’t really see why you should have a problem with him. Even if he’s in defense, it’s not like he’s your competitor anymore.”

“We don’t just produce weapons,” Norman bristled. “There’s many areas in which he is still a pest at my side. Not that it much matters now, what with him trying so hard to play at the hero even though the world knows very well he’s got the blood of thousands on his hands. Honestly, he’s just a power-hungry, manipulative-”

“No he’s not,” Peter said, cutting Norman off.  

May froze, her eyes immediately snapping up to wage her nephew’s reaction at the stupid words Norman had just dared utter in her house. The boy was livid. His hands were clenched into tight fists and he seemed to be having difficulty breathing normally. 

“First of all, just for you information, Tony Stark is the greatest - and bravest - hero alive and the least you could do is be grateful he saved your life when he put his life at risk and saved New York. Second, he is a  _ brilliant  _ inventor, and I don’t care if he makes you lose money or not, you should be happy other people out there have that thirst to make and build things like you do.” 

The man raised a brow, a flash of red crossing his eyes. “Oh, and you think you know Tony Stark so well because of a few interviews you might have seen of him on TV? With all due respect, Peter, you’re young. And you know nothing about Tony Stark.” 

“I know a whole lot more than you,” Peter bit out, unable to control his increasingly burning rage. 

“Excuse me?” The man said sharply, his tone silky soft and his eyes screaming murder. 

“I am doing an internship with Tony Stark. I see him every day. So, like I said, I know  _ a lot  _ more about Tony Stark than you do. And, honestly, he’s a great deal nicer - and smarter - than you.” With that, Peter got up and all but ran to his room, knowing there would be  _ hell  _ to pay later once the man left, but not giving a fuck at the moment. He wasn’t sure whether he felt more ashamed about embarrassing his aunt in front of her friend or angry at the git for having dared say such things about the man whom Peter all but idolized. 

He laid down on his bed, muttering curses at himself for his stupidity. There was no way he was going back out there; he wasn’t going to punch Norman (not for a lack of wanting, that was for sure), and he wasn’t going to do anything embarrassing for him either - such as, god forbid, apologizing  - which meant staying here until his aunt deemed it appropriate for Peter to re-enter the livingroom. 

That also meant May would be even more furious when she did, eventually, call him back out. Peter shook his head, trembling slightly as he suddenly felt a little too overwhelmed. His sense had been acting weird all night, and now he was feeling overtly emotional and terrified and he had no fucking clue why. It was like his fight or flight instincts were going from 0 to 100 every few seconds and with it came a surge of irrational emotions. 

Something was wrong with him, and he didn’t know what. 

He buried his face in his pillow, screwing his eyes shut as he tried to regulate his breathing and his heartbeat with little success. He needed to calm down. It would do him no favors to stay in this foul mood. Not to mention; he  _ really  _ didn’t like being angry at people, no matter how insensitive their comments were. That was just not who he was, and if he let someone affect him this much, then that felt like letting him win. 

But it wasn’t fair. The man had no right to speak that way about Tony, especially when it was clear the man knew nothing about Tony. How dare he belittle Tony’s achievements? Hell, the man was the only reason millions of people around the world were still alive. He was some people’s only source of hope. He certainly was a source of hope for Peter. And, yes, he hadn’t known the man for forever, but he trusted Tony and he knew the man wasn’t some horrible person. 

“Peter, what happened, are you alright?” Tony said suddenly, his voice sounding distorted due to the suit.

Peter jumped up, landing on his feet next to the bed in a crouch, as if ready to pounce. He froze, however, when he noticed the armor floating in the middle of his room. 

Great. This was great. Now he had retreated so far into his mind that he hadn’t even  heard Tony come in through the window. 

“I… sorry I didn’t even notice you came in,” Peter said with a sigh as he forced himself to drop the posture.

“Peter, your heart rate is elevated, your body is producing a lot of adrenaline, and your body is sending distress signals through anxiety.  _ Are you alright?  _ Where is May? I can’t detect any physical harm but-”

“No, really I am fine, you shouldn’t have-”

“Come?” Tony asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. “I’m not actually here, Peter,” he explained as he opened the suit’s mask to reveal only more metal. “I am boarding a plane currently and I’m headed for Brussels. We have a meeting with a few delegates. I just needed to make sure you were okay, if not I was going to turn the plane around and come get you.” 

Peter smiled softly, both touched by the fact that Tony was willing to drop anything to protect Peter and for the fact the man had immediately sent a sentient armor to check up on him. “I’m alright, Tony, really. Just… an unpleasant evening, I guess. My sense are going a bit hyper, at the moment, if I’m honest. It’s not… I feel like everything is… I don’t know, suffocating me, I guess. I feel like I’m crawling out of my skin and I don’t know why. I might just go patrolling and see if that helps.” 

“There is not a chance in hell I am letting you patrol tonight,” Tony replied sharply, before crossing his arms in front of him. “Alright, pack a bag. You’re staying over with me tonight,” the armor said, his voice leaving no room for arguments. 

Peter froze. “What?” 

“I need to monitor your vitals, and I need to make sure the overflow of information your sense are receiving does not cause lasting damage,” Tony explained, a little brusquely, as he clearly was descending a plane, judging by the armor’s movements.  

“But… you have a meeting in Brussels with delegates,” Peter reasoned as he sat back on the bed, screwing his eyes shut.

“Peter, we’ve been over this. You come first,” Tony said nonchalantly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I am calling your aunt now. I’ll pick you up in half an hour, okay?”

“I… I’m not sure this is a good idea. We have a guest tonight,” Peter said with a grimace, feeling even more annoyed at Norman for even being in his home. 

“If you’re in your room, I assume the guest isn’t yours and therefore not your responsibility,” Tony replied easily. 

“Well, I guess, but I mean… It’s Norman Osborn,” Peter blurted as fast as he could, unable to keep looking at the suit’s eyes. Even if Tony wasn’t here to see him, this was fucking embarrassing. 

“ _ Excuse me? Did you just say Norman fucking Osborn?”  _ Tony all but growled, the soft sound of the man being enclosed in a different suit before gaining speed enough to make Peter genuinely smile. 

* * *

Norman sat quietly in his kitchen table, still fuming over the failed dinner. Last night had been, for a lack of a better word, a terrible evening and, if truth was really to be told, it was all Tony Stark’s fault - as always. It was like the man found it impossible to leave the things Norman held close to the heart alone. 

He had not expected to hear that Peter was working with the man. He had not expected May to get angry at him for pointing out the character flaws in the man. He certainly had not expected Peter to act like a brat, and, more importantly, he had not expected things to deteriorate to the point that the most prudent course of action had been to leave before he could truly have a row with May.

He kept reviewing the evening in his mind, and he had yet to find what was it that he had said that had made May so mad. He had said nothing against her nephew, and surely the woman would not argue with him about Tony Stark? Yes, her nephew seemed to enjoy spending time with Stark but May wasn’t someone that bought into people’s glamour easily. 

With a shake of his hand, Norman finally revved up his computer, quickly searching for anything that might shed some light into this new development in Tony Stark’s life. It took less than a minute for him to find the rather large number of pictures of Stark and Parker, the boy looking like Stark was the single greatest Christmas present in every single picture. 

Norman half growled, the pictures making it clear that Tony Stark wasn’t just the man Peter was interning for; he was the man that was seeing to Peter’s formation, education, and well being - the role that Norman had been too busy to fill for the past few years due to his research. 

He sighed, quickly closing the search engine before he could think more deeply into it. This was why he didn’t waste his time on people; research was more reliable and more understandable than people. Research gave him answers, not emotional questions. Research, more importantly, had nothing to do with Tony Stark. It never had, and it never would. 

With that thought in mind, Norman pulled out a silver case from under his desk. He opened it to reveal a syringe and a vial with a bright blue liquid. Much like the day before, he fixed his shirt, rubbed his skin clean, and injected the liquid once the clock struck eight. 

The first dose had been a success; he had felt no side effects, with the exception of possible mood swings (though he attributed that to the terrible dinner) and a few mind crushing headaches that had not lasted long enough to prevent him from using the second dosage. 

This second - and last - part of the serum would give him the true powers that came along with the serum and would, theoretically, help stabilize him both emotionally and physically as it was meant to have a calming effect. 

He took the needle out once all the contents were in his body, and he left the vial and the syringe on the table, looking with a bit of trepidation towards his arm. Much like yesterday, his veins were popped and went from blue to green, though this time it was a much darker shade of green. The color too, seemed to be spreading to the rest of his skin, as if his tissue was changing. 

Norman turned on his desk light, frowning slightly as he pulled out a notebook to record the side effects. He was pretty certain this change had not been something they had planned for. The formula was not meant to show any appearance changes. Before he could reach his pen, however, he felt his body seize up as a burning sensation ran through him, leaving him breathless on the ground. 

He writhed on the ground, trying hard not to scream as he felt like his skin and his brain burn away, leaving behind only rage and raw pain. He felt like he was being flayed open, like someone was torturing him just for the sake of watching him slowly go insane.  He had no idea how long he laid there, something dark and angry and  _ hungry  _ waking up inside him as his mind continued to burn away, his conscious too far gone for him to realize the maniacal laughter bubbling out of him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the super long wait, I have been stupidly busy and only had a chance to write yesterday. I will try to make you wait less for the next chapter, haha


	12. Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child's success is the positive involvement of parents."   
> \- Jane D. Hull

“What are you doing here again?” Tony asked with a frown, his tone serious but his eyes gleaming with mirth. 

“I am here to make sure you don’t burn the house down,” Rhodey deadpanned, smiling and stepping out of the way when Tony tried to poke him on the ribs for his jab. 

“I’ll have you know, I’ve gotten better at cooking. Besides, I was planning on ordering takeout. I mean there’s going to be like six of us - seven if you are serious about staying. Well, eight with Vision, but he doesn’t eat so it doesn’t count.” 

“Of course I am staying,” Rhodey said with a roll of his eyes. “All of Peter’s close friends  _ and _ his aunt are here, and you expect me not to be around? I need to finally meet all of them.” 

“I still don’t get why you’re so fascinated with Peter’s life,” Tony said, his tone aloof. 

Rhodey rolled his eyes again. He was sure by the end of the night he would have a headache from sheer eye-rolling. “I told you. I plan to be very much involved in my godson’s life.”

Tony hummed. “Good, so I’ll make sure to put it in my will that if both May and I die, Peter will go to you,” Tony said  jokingly, though Rhodey knew his words were anything but. 

Before Rhodey could answer, they reached the kitchen, where a strange smell was permeating the whole area. Tony opened the door warily, not entirely surprised to find May and Vision working side by side in the kitchen. Vision had still not quite gotten the hang of cooking, mostly due to the fact that he couldn’t taste what he made and also due to the fact that he refused to watch videos on how to cook. May just simply had a knack for burning things and adding far far too much salt. 

So, all in all, a most terrible combination, especially when the plan was to feed seven people. 

“So are you trying to burn my kitchen down because I forgot something you said or is this your subtle way of telling me you want me to remodel?” Tony said with a winning grin, narrowly avoiding getting swatted by May. 

“I may have forgotten to take out the chicken,” she said with a sigh, not even blushing. She was far too used to things like this happening. 

Before Tony could answer, Peter walked into the room, fire extinguisher in hand. He stood by the doorway, eyes wild. “I could smell something burning,” he said as a way of explanation when Tony and Rhodey gave him questioning looks. 

“Well aren’t you a good boy scout,” Tony said dryly, shaking his head softly before taking the extinguisher from Peter’s hands. “I’m pretty sure they didn’t burn anything badly enough to warrant this. Why were you cooking anyway, May?” Tony asked as he turned to look at her. 

“Well, since Peter’s friends are coming over I figured it would be nice if I-”

“May, it’s your damn  _ birthday.  _ No one was expecting you to cook,” Tony deadpanned, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

She blushed slightly. “Well, I like cooking, and I know how much Peter loves my cooking-”

Tony shot Peter a glare and the boy winced, both thinking the exact same thing; this was the result of Peter lying to May for years by telling her he loved her cooking despite the fact that the woman had never been able to do so. This wasn’t the first time Tony was forced to buckle up and eat the atrocities that May so kindly made, but he needed to find a way to put a stop to it, and soon, before she managed to poison them all.

“Alright, well, I am going to order food for all of us, that way you don’t have to worry about cooking today, and you don’t have to worry about re-doing it or whatever it is that you were planning to do. In fact, while we wait for the food, you can go start getting ready since Pepper said she’s taking you out for ladies night after dinner” Tony offered cheerfully, though it was clear to anyone that knew him that it wasn’t so much an offer as it was clear instructions on what was going to happen from here until dinnertime and beyond. 

May didn’t look terribly happy with the idea of her not being the one to prepare their meal but she didn’t argue. “Alright, I’ll go put something nice on. When are Ned and Michelle getting here?” 

“Pepper said she was picking them up now, so I imagine in about twenty minutes,” Tony said as he took his hand out of his pocket to check his watch. “Don’t worry, we all still have some time. I’m going to go place the order, and I’ll greet our guests.” Tony turned to look at Peter, a brow raised. “Why are you still in your sweatpants?” 

“Uh, I was testing something in the suit, so I just put on the first thing I saw because I thought something was on fire,” Peter admitted with a blush. “I’ll go get dressed now.” 

Tony fought hard to keep a smile off of his face. “Twenty minutes, spider boy - and don’t forget to at least pass a brush through your hair.”

Peter’s only answer was to roll his eyes before running away to his room - the room Tony had wordlessly handed over to Peter months ago which he had personally commissioned and which Peter used every time he stayed over, thus giving it an air of well lived in. Rhodey looked between the two, smiling softly at their weird antics.

“Make sure he brushes his hair,” Tony asked as soon as the boy was out of ear range - well, out of his enhanced hearing range. “I have to go have a meeting with my lawyer.” 

Rhodey’s brows shot up. “Now?” 

Tony shrugged. “There’s still a few things I don’t like about the new Accords we signed, and I want that amended. Also, sooner or later the UN is bound to find Rogers and his crew, and they’ll need a good defense prepared.”

Rhodey’s face turned steely. “You’re going to help them?”

“I don’t have a choice,” Tony half snapped, looking defensive and tired. “Something is coming Rhodey honey, and we have to be ready for it. And as much as I dislike him now, Rogers is still good with a fucking shield.”

Neither mentioned the fact that Tony had come across with particular fact personally, when Steve had rammed his shield straight into Tony’s chest, causing multiple fractures and internal bleeding. 

Rhodey didn’t seemed to be mollified by the answer, in fact, he just looked angrier. “Just don’t paint a new target on yourself, just because you want to be nice to these idiots. The more you help them, the more suspicious the UN will be and not even all the info you have on Ross will be enough to keep him at bay.” 

Tony smiled, always happy to see that he had at least one friend he could count to have his back, no matter what. “I’ll be really careful and sleathly, honey bunch. Don’t you worry.”

Rhodey rolled his eyes but didn’t answer, both knowing that the was no possible way Rhodey wouldn’t worry.

* * *

“Wait, so we can really go into your lab and your workshop?” Ned asked, for the fourth time, as they approached the elevator. 

Tony looked terribly amused. “Of course, Ned. There’s certain things down there that you cannot touch, as they are new and possibly unstable projects, but so long as you are there with me or Peter - or even Friday - you can go and have fun there. I’ll have fry set up a station for you and Peter, if you both want. That way, after dinner is over and Pepper and May leave, you guys can go down there. Though, if MJ is staying over tonight as well, you might prefer to do something which can include her.” 

“I can read while they geek out,” MJ said simply, picking up her bag to take out an old tome. While she knew quite a bit about robotics, and chemistry, it wasn’t her favorite pastime. She much preferred to watch her friends than to assist them, unless of course Peter needed her. 

He had been needing her more lately than ever before. After they had managed to sit down and talk about the fact that MJ new that Peter was Spiderman, he had come to rely a lot more on her. He had apologized for not telling her, which they young woman had told him was unnecessary but there was no stopping Peter once he felt he had done something wrong. He had also given her a full account of his time as Spiderman, before pulling his phone out and calling a young man named Harley who apparently was also in on the secret. 

And so somehow they had gone from not talking about Spiderman at all, to having a group chat between all four of them where they made sure Peter always had one of them available when he went out patrolling. They also had made it their job to make sure Peter had all his homework done before leaving for the night. 

“Alright, I’m going to go pick up the food. Fry call May and the rest downstairs, would ya?” He didn’t tell the boys to head to the dining room, hoping it not to be necessary as it seemed rather obvious to him that that was were they were supposed to go. 

Pepper walked into the elevator with Tony, letting the other three head upstairs. 

“I trust everything was fine?” Tony asked, looking up at her once the doors closed. 

She nodded. “Yes, they’re good kids, so we had no problem when I picked them up. Also, Collin called, the UN has approved the amendments and they have sent it back to each home country so that the changes are ratified.” 

Tony nodded, the tension on his shoulders dropping slightly. “Well, let’s hope they don’t hold us up for too long.” 

Pepper smiled, coming closer to him to give him a peck. “I’ll keep an ear - and an eye - out.” 

Tony smiled softly just as the doors opened, giving her one last peck before stepping out, turning to the main door to get the food. She stepped out to help him carry some of the food once she saw just how much food the man had ordered, and she made sure to give the young delivery man a generous tip.

They headed upstairs quickly, where May, Ned, MJ, Rhodey, Peter, and Vision were already waiting for them, all seated around the set table, a few side conversations happening at the same time. MJ seemed to be excitedly explaining something to Vision, and the other two kids seemed to be making excuses to May - about what, Tony didn’t know. Tony watched them all for a second before finally stepping up and placing the bags he had on the table.

“I ordered Thai,” he told Ned and MJ, who hadn’t been here to see the disaster that had led to Tony ordering food in the first place. 

No one complained as Tony began passing the numerous trays of food, and, a few minutes later, silence reigned around the table as everyone all but stuffed their faces with food, happily enjoying the frankly inordinate amount of food. Vision watched them all calmly, not partaking in the meal but partaking in the merriment. 

Even after a few years of being alive, it was still fascinating to him how happy food could make humans. And, more to the point, it was fascinating to see relationships flourish and deepen - or fall irreparably apart - around a dinner table. He didn’t yet understand why so much of human interactions happened around a table, but he so enjoyed watching.

“Oh, thank you so much for the invitation, Mr. Stark,” Ned said as he turned to face Tony, who was sitting at the head of the table, watching everyone much like Vision, except he was occasionally putting food in his mouth. 

Tony smiled and nodded. “We’re glad to have you Ned, and you’re welcome to pass by whenever you wish to,” Tony said as he took a small sip of his drink. 

Rhodey hummed in agreement. “Yes, and if you wanna come by, you should drop me a text, that way I can supervise you little devils so you don’t burn the house - or the lab - down. Also, when you go down to the lab, don’t think it will always be as nice as it looks right now. He’s just trying to impress you.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “No, I’m not. I don’t need to impress them, honey bear.” 

“Of course you do. You need Ned on your corner, since we both know I’m Peter’s favorite,” Rhodey teased, narrowly avoiding a napkin that Tony threw at him at the comment. 

“Excuse you, Rhodes, I’m his favorite,” Tony said, sticking his tongue out. 

“His shirt says otherwise,” Rhodey deadpanned, pointing to the War Machine t-shirt he had insisted Peter wear when Tony wasn’t in the room as he had sent Rhodey to make sure Peter was presentable while he met with the lawyer. 

Tony narrowed his eyes. “No one likes you better, honey bear. Stop telling yourself lies.” 

“I am his absolute favorite. Lose with grace Tony,” Rhodey said, a big smile on his face as he knew his silly comments were truly riling up his friend.

“Rhodes, he is  _ my _ kid. I am by definition his favorite,” Tony snapped, half goodnaturedly, half out of spite.

Ned looked between the two, a soft, wistful smile on his lips. He turned to look at Peter, shaking his head slightly. “Man, it’s so cool that you can say your dad is a superhero and not actually mean it metaphorically,” he said softly, though loud enough for Peter and MJ to hear. 

Peter froze, half choking on his food at the comment, which made Rhodes and Tony look back at him. Tony frowned, looking ready to get up and perform a Heimlich maneuver just to make sure Peter was alright. 

Before he could do anything, however, the alarm Peter had had Karen install on his watch began ringing, alerting him to a large crime occurring somewhere in Queens. He forced himself to keep his choking under control, forcing all thoughts and questions of Tony’s and Ned’s comments to the side.

He could try to delude himself into thinking that Tony meant a general “my kid” that Tony had to take care of due to Peter’s powers and budding position as an upcoming avenger. However, he knew better, and he knew Tony meant a personal, and real,  _ my _ kid. Because Tony had taken on that role for Peter, and, after the conversation they had had a while back once Tony had come back from his week where he had virtually disappeared, the man had taken an even more active role in Peter’s life - if that was possible. 

And so Peter was absolutely sure that that was Tony had decided to be there for him just like the father he had not been able to have. However, it was still difficult for Peter to accept that, because as much as he wanted that, as much as he loved Tony for stepping up, he wasn’t sure how to accept the man’s love so fully. 

It still terrified Peter. The idea of losing Tony, of losing his favor… it felt like it could be one hundred times worse if he finally accepted in his heart of hearts that Tony was that person for him - that person whose approval and love he sought. And a part of him knew he already saw Tony that way, but another part of him, a larger part of him, was too afraid and therefore unwilling to deal with it. 

Still, it was nice to see that his friends were not only able to see it, but were more than willing to accept the strange development of Peter’s eclectic family. 

“Someone is trying to rob a weapons manufacturer in Queens,” Ned said as he looked at the info Karen had sent to his phone.

As Peter’s main guy in the chair, the AI had decided to hook herself up to any and all technology owned by Ned, making it easier for the young man to assist her and Peter whenever they went out on Patrol.

Peter stood up then, happy for the distraction. He looked back at Tony, who had also stood up. “I was supposed to be out on Patrol tonight,” he said, before May could even think of saying no to his going. 

She didn’t look convinced. “Peter, if they’re trying to steal weapons then this is something above your head. You ought to let Tony and the government handle it.” 

“I’m just gonna go and check it out, okay. If I really need help, I will beep you guys. Let me try to do some recon first, please?” Peter asked Tony, though his eyes kept going to May every few seconds. “If we both go he might get scared off, and then we won’t know if this is just a one off or if it’s a mass operation to steal weapons like with Toomes.” 

“Go,” Tony said after a few seconds, his voice firm, but his eyes worried. “But do not even think of doing anything other than gathering evidence.” 

Peter nodded, knowing that Tony’s rule could be bent if they attacked first. He got up and ran out of the room, quickly heading to his own bedroom to change before Tony and May could decide against his going. 

“You’re not gonna let him go alone, are you?” May asked, clearly ready to pounce if the answer was not to her satisfaction. 

“Of course not,” Tony scoffed. “I don’t want to cut his wings fully, or he will lash out, but I do want him to be as safe as you want him to be, May. Friday activate helicopter mode and bring up his feed on my tablet.”

“What is helicopter mode?” Ned asked curiously at Tony as they all followed the man out of the room, dinner all but forgotten. 

Tony didn’t need to answer, for suddenly four of his armors appeared, all different in design and utility. They flew out the top window as Tony took out his ipad, the man not bothering to look up as the armors all left quickly. “Those armors can read his tracker and his vitals. They will keep him safe, and I will be near in case it goes tits up,” Tony said, his voice a comfort to May. "I'm sorry dinner was kind of ruined," he told the woman with a sad smile. "Still... why don't you and Pepper go out for a bit? relax tonight, you know? I will monitor Peter myself, May. He won't be in any danger." 

The woman seemed entirely unconvinced, but Pepper herself dragged her out of the room, knowing that Tony didn't want May to spend the entire night sitting next to him worrying about Peter. It was her birthday after all, and Tony was more than capable of keeping Peter safe while may enjoyed at least a moment of her day. 

Ned and MJ watched with amused smiles as Tony turned on all the trackers on Peter's suit - from heat signals to location signal. They both silently agreed not to mention any of this to Peter. The boy thought Tony was overprotective enough as it was. There was no need to let him know that while the man allowed Peter to think he trusted him with missions on his own, there was always a failsafe ready to catch Peter, should his mission fail. 

It was clear to MJ that Tony was letting Peter go so that the boy could practice, could hone his skills. But it was clear too that the man did understand that Peter was far too young to be doing this on his own - hence the numerous armors and the multiple programs set up in Peter’s suit. 

Still, despite all that, everyone in the room knew Tony would not relax again until Peter was back home, safe and sound. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Between exams and moving (abroad) I haven't had any time at all to write. I should hopefully be back to a more normal schedule now that I've settled in.


	13. First Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I guess what scares me the most now is the thought that I won't be able to protect you”   
> ― Julia Hoban

“Are you sure it’s here?” Peter asked Karen as he stepped into a large factory, feeling a chill run down his spine as the smell reminded him a lot of Toomes old warehouse. 

“Yes, these are the coordinates,” Karen said calmly. “The radar is detecting another heat source aside from yourself, so there is a high chance that the perpetrator is still here as the cleaning team is not scheduled to arrive to this facility for another half hour.” 

“Awesome,” Peter said in a decidedly sarcastic tone, which he was pretty sure he was picking up from Tony. “Alright, let’s get this done with.” 

He walked deeper into the warehouse, his senses heightened and his nerves shot. He crouched down when he heard something large and heavy falling to the ground a few floors up.

“Right, stealing weapons dude is definitely here,” he said to himself under his breath as he quickly searched for the emergency exit staircase. Once he found it, he looked up and stuck his web to the highest visible point, easily pulling himself up by jumping from wall to wall until he reached the fourth floor, where he was pretty sure the sound had come from.

“Karen, activate heat vision mode,” Peter said once he came face to face with a myriad of missiles and bombs, which prevented him from actually catching a glimpse of whoever it was that he was up against. 

He blinked a few times once Karen activated the night vision, adjusting to it after a few seconds. He smiled a little once he finally found the heat source, but frowned as he took in the shape which the goggles were displaying. It looked, for lack of a better word, like a goblin, and the thing was flying on a triangular shaped thing that Peter could not name.

Peter ran towards the heat emission, making sure not to topple over himself or any dangerous missile or the like. While he knew his job as a “superhero” involved its fair share of life-or-death risk, he didn’t exactly want to die due to clumsiness. That would just be lame. 

He stopped a few meters away and shut off the heat vision, half gaping at the sight in front of him. There, carrying a bag full of what Peter assumed to be weapons, was a green-skinned man, who was wearing a mask, making his features look just like a goblin’s. His outfit too resembled the mythical creatures, though Peter imagined real goblins would probably take offense with the blueish purple tones the man was wearing. 

The man turned a second later, his yellow eyes narrowing down on Peter with disdain. He put more of his weight on his right leg, making his flying device turn to the right as he placed a long-fingered hand on his hip. 

“Ah, Spiderman, yes, I was hoping you’d drop by. You took longer than I expected, honestly?” the man said in a low pitched tone, his voice sounding a little inhuman. 

He dropped the black bag in a large slick, black container which closed immediately once the bag was inside. The man then looked back up to look at Peter, who was half crouching, looking at the man.

He tried to think of something to say, but the weird look was really throwing Peter off. “You know it’s a little early to start celebrating halloween,” he finally said shooting out a web to climb a top a large container, which gave him the higher ground. “Also, those weapons are dangerous and they aren’t yours, so why don’t you do us both a favor and leave them where they are.”

The man laughed, shaking his head as he closely regarded Peter. “Is that all Queen’s great savior has to say? I was expecting a little more if I’m being honest,” he said dryly as he clicked an almost invisible button he had on his hand, making the box turn back to life. 

The large box seemed to be made of the same technology the goblin's board was made off, for it began flying quickly up. Peter, immediately realizing the man was trying to extract the box before Peter could stop him, shot a number of webs to the door the box was flying to, impeding its escape, before quickly running a circle around the box as he shot more of his web, imprisoning it while holding onto the end of the web.

He pulled hard, forcing the heavy box to fall back. The goblin scoffed and pressed another button, making the box lurch as it began pushing against the tight hold Peter’s webs had on it. The boy felt a little trepidation as the web continued to tense, the repulsors strong enough to begin breaking Peter’s tight and durable web. 

“How long can your web hold, I wonder?” The goblin asked aloud, his voice distant as he clicked another button, making the box fight more aggressively against Peter’s hold. 

Peter shot another two webs and ran around the rows, stopping near a large container. He quickly disengaged the two new webs and stuck the two ends of the web on the metal structure, while continuing to hold onto the original two webs. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold, but he knew it wouldn’t last long if he didn’t get rid of the remote control the assailant had. 

He thus threw himself backwards, feeling a lot like Neo from the matrix, using the webs as his anchors to keep himself from falling to the ground as his core and bent knees kept him on a horizontal position. He threw his arm back, shooting a number of electric webs at the goblin’s arms in an attempt to fry the man’s system. 

The man, however, quickly jumped out of the way, coming around to fly closer the box. He pressed his controller again, which made the box give a violent turn before it began pushing harder and harder against Peter. The boy grunted but did not let go, a part of him knowing the web would snap soon. 

The goblin stood back and watched Peter, chuckling slightly as he studied the web quietly. Once he grew bored, he clicked another thing on the small control, activating a number of weapons that came out of the box to point at Peter. 

“Shit,” Peter said under his breath as he let go of the two webs he was holding to jump out of the way, happy to see the other two webs hold the box in place. The box heated up, burning away the webs before it began defending itself, forcing Peter to jump on top of missiles and box as he narrowly avoided getting hit with both bullets and lasers every time. 

The problem was, however, that every hit he avoided meant that a highly explosive weapon was hit, which caused a domino effect that soon left the goblin and Peter in the middle of a burning room, which had just been half blown away while the giblin laughed mindlessly, heedless of the danger he was putting both of them in. 

Peter jumped high atop one of the cylinders which was used to produce the weapons to avoid being burnt. He stood on shaky legs, the sound of each passing explosion leaving a ringing in his ears which made him lose his sense of balance. The goblin also seemed to be bothered by the prior level of noise, but his feet were strapped to the board by two metal bars running across his feet, which meant that the man’s crazed decision to use explosives in such a volatile room did not make him fall to his death.

“What’s the matter boy? Afraid of a little fire?” The goblin said as he laughed, circling Peter just as two chainsaw-like blades came out of the triangular flying board. 

Peter jumped as soon as he saw them, narrowly avoiding being cut while also having to worry about not getting burnt.

“Those things don’t belong to you, and I’m not letting you get them,” Peter said as he cough, the quickly rising smoke making it both harder to breathe and harder to see. 

Still, despite the smoke Peter could see that the box, which was barely scratched, once again began flying away. 

“No,” Peter half grunted, running quickly from structure to structure as the box made its way to the main staircase. 

Before he could reach it however, the Goblin flew full force to him, reaching the stairs second before Peter. He tilted to the side and pushed the boy back with the bottom of the board, hitting Peter right on his solar plexus. The boy fell a few feet down to the ground, breathless. 

The goblin, clearly enraged now, pulled something out of a backpocket - a grenade, Peter realized, as the man threw it. Before Peter could react, however, one of Tony’s suits crashed in through the window and threw itself at peter, quickly covering the boy’s body as it flew Peter out of the way a second before the bomb exploded. As soon as the smoke cleared, three more armors made their way inside, those ones clearly not meant to be worn by tony for they all looked different and were not the man’s size. 

The goblin ground his teeth but quickly escaped, knowing that he was not yet equipped enough to fight Tony Stark’s suits, or, in fact, Iron Man himself. Not if he wanted to come out of this unscathed, anyway. 

“So long, Spiderman… I’ll see you soon I imagine. But remember, your  _ protector  _ won’t always be there to save you,” the goblin spit out, his rage clear in every single word.

Peter could not respond, could hardly hear or breathe in all honesty, but he cursed himself when he heard the door closing behind the goblin. He was sure he was going to die in the factory. The suits, however, seemed aware of the situation for two of them stretched out their arms and blasted the door to bits as the third took off, clearly in pursuit of the goblin. 

The armor which had donned itself on Peter quickly flew outside before releasing the boy and reassembling itself without him. Peter fell to the ground and then froze stone cold outside of the factory, the memory of toomes burying him alive inside a building coming back to hit him in full. He let out a shuddering breath, taking a few staggering steps backwards as he forgot how to inhale again. Everything felt a little too tight, a little too cruel for comfort. 

He could feel his heart starting to race as painful shivers wracked their way through his body. He could feel himself under the building again. He could still remember how much his body had hurt, how hard it had been to breathe through the dust and the tears.

“Peter you need to take a deep breath. You are going into a panic attack and your heart rate is reaching dangerously high levels,” Karen informed him, concern evident in her voice. “I am required by Mr. Stark to activate Baby Rescue mode if your heart rate does not go down in three minutes,” she warned him, knowing that the boy hated it when she randomly followed the instructions she was programmed to follow without warning him. 

“Oh my god, please don’t,” Peter weezed out, as he sat down on the ground, taking the mask off to take a proper breath. He laid down on the floor and bent his knees, firmly planting his feet on the floor as he looked at the clear night sky. 

He forced himself to breathe deeply in and out, counting his breaths without closing his eyes for he knew that if he closed them he would be back in that building again. He kept at it for a few minutes, feeling immensely proud of himself for getting his heart rate down despite the fact that he was still shaking severely. 

He put his mask back on and sat up, resting his forehead against his knees. “I’m alright Karen, you don’t need to activate anything. Also please don’t tell Mr. Stark,” Peter said in a pleading voice, forgetting, in his panic, that the armors had been the one to save his ass.

“She doesn’t have to tell me anything, kid,” Tony said suddenly from behind Peter, his eyes filled with worry. He moved quickly to stand in front of Peter, his armor, which was floating next to the man, quickly scanning Peter over for major injuries. “I need to know exactly what hurts, Peter, and I need to know if you can walk. Also did you hit your head?” He asked quickly as FRIDAY processed the armor’s scan. 

“What… how… I left alone,” Peter said, gaping at a very much real, very much worried Tony Stark. “I thought you were gonna let me handle it.” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “And I thought you were going to do some light recon,” Tony reminded him, his tone acidic.

“But I did go in to do recon! I was trying to figure out what he was doing, but he saw me and then he tried to get away, but I couldn’t let him get all those weapons,” Peter reasoned, looking a bit sullen. 

“You mean the weapons he did actually take, after he almost killed you,” Tony said, not placated at all. 

Peter did not roll his eyes, but it was a near thing. “Okay, yes, I messed up, but I could have-”

“No, stop right there. You messed up, period. You are young and still learning,” Tony reminded him, his eyes hard. “Peter we’ve been over this, you are sixteen. You may go on patrol, and I may allow you to go on your own missions to train, but there is no way in hell I am letting you go without at least some backup at the ready. Also, if we agree on recon, then  _ I expect you to follow my instructions. _ ” 

Peter sighed but did not respond, knowing that when Tony got worried, there was nothing that would stop the man from chewing Peter out for recklessness. 

“We are gonna go to the compound now, and you’re gonna go to medical as you have a few contusions and minor abrasions. We’ll stay there tonight, and I do not want you going after this guy, he is above your pay grade, got it?” Tony said as he crouched down to be on Peter’s eye level. 

The young man bit the inside of his cheek but nodded, knowing that even if he wanted to go after this dude, Tony and May would keep too close an eye on him to make it a feasible option. 

“Also… we need to talk about your panic attack,” Tony said, honestly and calmly, his eyes turning from steel to soft molten chocolate as love and understanding bled through. “It’s not good to bottle your fears up, Peter. Trust me, been there done that. It will do you no favors.”

Peter bit his lip and looked down at his feet, feeling suddenly ashamed. “I… I didn’t want anyone to worry. Besides… I mean you never… I wanted to be… well, strong,” Peter said, half under his breath.

“Peter, I have had panic attacks since the alien invasion of New York, and Afghanistan also gave me some serious nightmares for many years. I am the dictionary definition of PTSD,” Tony said without missing a beat. “You are not weak because you feel fear. I would be more worried if you didn’t. This is something that shouldn’t have happened to you, and I’m sorry I didn’t realize until today, but we are going to deal with this, together oka? May and I will help you, and no, neither one of us will judge you,” Tony assured him as he brought his boy in for a hug. 

Peter trembled in Tony’s arms for a few minutes as he let the fear run its course, breathing in Tony’s familiar scent to calm his nerves. “I’m ready to go home,” Peter said eventually, knowing that was all that was needed to get Tony into action as the man was desperate to get Peter to medical. 

“I haven’t told May about this as it is her birthday,” Tony said as he stepped back into his armor and picked Peter up bridal style. “However, I will tell her first thing tomorrow, so expect her to not allow you to go on Patrol for at least a week. Also, we are all gonna talk about this tomorrow, and decide on an appropriate therapist for you and an appropriate routine.” 

Peter groaned but did not answer, knowing there was no point in fighting. Tony would never let this go, not until he was sure Peter was okay. 

* * *

The goblin grunted as he closed the door to his bunker. It had taken over twenty four hours, many of which he had spent fighting, but he had finally escaped Iron Man’s armor. The stupid suit had been more well equipped and more ready for battle than the goblin had expected. 

He supposed he should be grateful that Tony fucking Stark hadn’t been inside of it, for otherwise the man might have been able to beat him, but, in all honesty, it only made the goblin more furious. He wanted to destroy Tony Stark, strip him of everything he was and then make the man watch as everything he held dear burned. 

However, at the moment, he was feeling a little more angry at Spider-Man than anything. The idiotic boy had really gotten on his nerves. Not only did his once protege Parker now depended on Tony Stark, but it seemed that this newest superhero was also going down the same road, making him an annoying bug for the goblin to crush. 

Not only that, but nothing would have happened if Spider Man had not been there in the first place. He needed to kill the stupid fool, and then he could finally deal with Tony Stark. Perhaps, in fact, he could use Peter himself to take down the two superheroes in one go. He only needed to get close to the boy and his aunt again, just a few weeks of getting under their skin, before he could use the boy like his own personal Trojan horse. 

Oh yes, it would be magnificent to watch Tony Stark fall by the hand of his own Protege no less.

The goblin chuckled, his injuries and bad humor all but forgotten as a plan quickly began forming in his head. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! The fic is gonna take a wild rollercoaster ride from here on.


	14. Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Advice is like snow - the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind."  
> \- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Peter stifled a yawn as he tried to pay attention to what his teacher was saying. He couldn’t even blame his lack of attention on being tired, given that, after what had happened with the Goblin, May had suspended his patrol activities for a little over two weeks now. Furthermore, he also had been sleeping more and eating a lot more healthy now that he had started seeing a therapist. 

He had been a bit skeptic going in to see her at first, but, after their first meeting Peter understood why Tony was having him do this. The woman, who happened to be the former head of SHIELD’s psychology department, was simply incredible. She was very cunning, and, having dealt with cases worse than Peter’s own, was very adept at handling Peter’s life story - not that he had yet shared all that much. It was hard for Peter to talk to her, but she was understanding even in that.

She and Tony had made it clear to Peter that she was in no way going to reveal his identity and, more importantly, Tony was the one safeguarding all the documents she touched, hence, to appease Tony’s own worry, the woman had no personal records of Peter. That, Peter had to admit, did make it easier for him to talk to her. 

It wasn’t easy, and he didn’t always talk, but at least he knew he had someone that could help him and that was qualified to do so. 

But, all in all, he was staring to go a little stir fry without going on patrol. The Goblin had disappeared, leaving behind no traces. Peter wasn’t sure if it had been the Iron Man suits that had scared him enough to keep a low profile, or if the man was planning something major. Either way, as far as he knew, Tony had not yet found the man and was also not letting Peter anywhere near that info. In any case, Peter wasn’t sure he could take the suspense for much longer. 

He felt like he wasn’t doing  _ anything _ and it was a terrible feeling because  _ he had been there and he hadn’t stopped him.  _ He hadn’t stopped the Goblin, and now the man had dozens of high caliber bombs and, based on the little display he had showed with his flying board and hand grenades, a wealth of either money or technology at hand. Peter had no idea where the Goblin had acquired any of it, nor why no one had reported any theft - assuming the man had stolen the necessary items to build his own equipment. 

“You okay, Peter?” MJ said discretely as she gave him a few worried side looks. The boy had been getting progressively paler for the past three minutes, probably psyching himself out about the latest wacko roaming the streets. 

“I… yeah, just worried about the goblin,” he whispered back, smiling tensely. 

He had added MJ to the chat he had with Harley and Ned as a way to show how much he trusted her after not having told her about Spider Man for an insultingly long time. She had taken to the chat in stride, making herself available to help Peter whenever the other two boys were too busy to help. It also helped her keep an eye on Peter’s emotional and mental state after every fight. Something which she had started doing after the boy had told them Tony was making him see a therapist - a much needed move, in her opinion. 

“Stop stressing yourself out, Peter. The guy clearly doesn’t want to be found, and Tony told you not to get involved with that. He sent all the information to the appropriate authorities, didn’t he?” She asked, still pretending to pay attention. 

“Yeah, and he told me the Avengers are keeping an eye on New York and any surrounding areas for him, but they haven’t found him,” Peter said with a sigh. “A person can’t disappear just like that,” he reasoned. 

“Well, until we know his alias, we - and by that I mean the Avengers - won’t really be able to do much. He’s clearly hiding in plain sight.” 

“Yes, but Friday can’t track him. This is the very first time he has been sighted, and from the visuals she got, the technology he used is not from any currently available. There is nothing to go on. She made sure it wasn’t Stark technology, but that’s the extent of it.” 

“So, basically, until he makes another move, we can’t find out anything else,” MJ reasoned. “And, even then, it still isn’t your problem to deal with.” 

“I know but-”

“Ah, Mr. Parker, there you are,” Vision said suddenly, looking pleased with himself. 

Peter whirled quickly in his seat, his eyes going wide as saucers. “Oh… my.. God… Vision… what are you doing here?” He breathed out, immediately thinking the worst. He stood up and immediately walked up to the superhero, his heart in his mouth.  “Is everyone okay? What happened?” 

“Don’t be alarmed, Mr. Parker, everything is alright,” Vision said with a small, calming smile. “I actually just wanted to speak briefly to you about Dr. Stark.” 

Peter gaped, his heart still beating wildly at the mere thought that something might have happened. “Viz… I am in class right now,” he said after a few seconds as he started to redden. “I mean you can’t… it’s not polite to interrupt a class, especially when you come in without knocking,” Peter explained as gently as he could, looking between Vision and his shell-shocked teacher. 

Vision looked slightly surprised before schooling his features back to a calm mask. “Ah, of course. I shall wait for you outside the school grounds, then. At what time will your class be over?”

“I have four more periods left,” Peter said with an apologetic grimace. “I can ask Tony to have us pass by the compound if you want or-”

“It is not a conversation I want Dr. Stark to be privy to,” Vision explained, looking slightly uncomfortable. 

Peter tried not to gape. He had no idea Vision was keeping secrets from Tony. “Can you wait at my house? May should be there right now so you can keep each other company.” 

The man chuckled and nodded. “I have not seen your aunt since her birthday. It will be nice to talk to her again.” 

Peter smiled faintly, aware that every single student was watching them and listening to every word coming out of their mouths. Peter wasn’t sure what his life even was at this point. Everyone in his school knew he and Tony were close, and thus they knew he knew the other avengers, but it seemed like every time one of them came to visit Peter a renewed interest in Peter’s personal life would sweep through the school. 

So, while he understood Vision wasn’t doing this to be mean, he sure as hell did not appreciate the extra attention. Why couldn’t they all be like Pepper and meet him in isolated areas were no students could pull out their phones or where no one could gossip about it? 

He was sure this three minute meeting would soon turn into a full blown thirty minute meeting once the gossip made its way around the school. 

He could feel MJ and Ned laughing behind his back. 

Peter watched the Vision leave the same way he had come in; through the window that led to the main grounds. He held back a groan as he turned to look at his teacher. “I am so sorry, sir. Vision… is a bit eccentric, as he wasn’t… you know… he wasn’t raised like most humans, so there’s certain societal rules he tends to forget. Like knocking and… well using doors,” Peter finished lamely, looking as red as a tomato. “I had no idea he would be coming.” 

“It’s… alright, Mr. Parker,” his teacher said after a few minutes, once the shock of being so close to one of the New Avengers subsided. “Now, I want everyone’s attention back to the lesson if you please.” 

Peter sat down then, still blushing. He was aware that everyone was looking at him as his teacher’s instruction to pay attention went unheeded. He dropped lower in his seat, sighing softly to himself. 

* * *

Peter could not get to his home fast enough, both because he had to admit he was very curious to know why Vision would seek him out of all people and because he did not want to stay and talk to any of the curious students in his classes. 

The rumour that Vision had come to speak to Peter had spread around the school like wildfire, and he had had to send both MJ and Ned to do some damage control as everyone was trying to understand why seemingly every superhero wanted to talk to Peter parker. 

He was terrified his classmates would start asking the right questions; he did not want any of them to find out about his secret identity. He was starting to consider asking Harley, who had grown almost as tall as Peter in the last month and a half, to dress up as Spider-Man and come pick him up, just to make sure people couldn’t link Peter to Spider-Man.  

“Hey honey,” May said as soon as Peter walked into their apartment, holding a tray with tea and pastries. “Vision told me you were near, so I decided to make tea.” 

Peter froze. “How did you know I was near?” He asked, half in awe. 

Vision looked out the window “My hearing and vision are above human levels,” he explained. “I can also… sense people, in a way, with this,” he said as he touched the stone encrusted on his forehead. 

Peter gaped. “You mean you can sense… what, like our souls or something?”

Vision shook his head. “No, I… I guess I can sense your mind. Every person… well, every mind gives off specific types of energy, if you can call it that. If I concentrate, I can sense that, and, when I spend long amounts of time with people, I tend to be able to pick up their signature energy more easily.” 

“That’s amazing,” he said, almost giddily. “What does my energy feel like?” 

Vision’s eyes warmed minutely at the young man’s curiosity. “It feels… a bit disorganised and young, but it moves very fast and it has a very strong… color to it,” Vision said, not sure how else to explain it.

“Is that a good thing?” Peter asked, blushing a bit.

Vision shrugged. “It is neither a good thing or a bad thing. It just is.” 

Peter tilted his head to the side. “That’s not really an answer, but okay,” he said with a half smile. “What does Tony’s energy feel like? And May’s?” 

“Your aunt’s energy is very warm. It is compact and hard to track because she… she has mental barriers built up, I guess you could say. As for Dr. Stark… it is overwhelmingly bright. It is even more disorganised than your own, and it is almost impossible to keep up with. It’s a bit like when humans try to look at the sun; it burns your eyes.” 

“That’s… amazing. I didn’t know you could do that,” Peter admitted. 

“Neither did I. I learned of this… ability of mine just a few months ago actually. I still don’t quite know all the things this stone can do,” Vision said with a small sigh. After a few seconds of silence, the android shook himself off and looked up at Peter. “Tell me, do you enjoy school?” 

Peter was caught off-guard for that question. “I… kind of? I mean, I like learning, and I like spending time with my friends, but most classes are a bit boring.”

“And food? Do you enjoy food?” Vision asked, his eyes still on the window. 

Peter frowned. “Um, yeah, I love food. Well, not all food, I don’t like sardines, but other than that… yeah, I love food.” 

“I have never tasted food, seeing as I don’t need it. I have always wondered what it tastes like,” Vision said quietly, a hint of sadness crossing his eyes. “It’s fascinating to see how much human cultures depend on food. Most human interactions happen around a meal. Sometimes I do wonder what it’s like to be human.” 

Peter felt a pang of sympathy for the android as he came to sit next to him. He looked back to where May was standing by the kitchen door, clearly not sure how to proceed. She had taken care of Peter like if he was her own, and thus now knew how to handle children, but Vision was another thing altogether. The android was wiser than many humans, and yet was like a child in many other aspects, which made it very hard for May to know how to treat him. 

“You don’t need to be human to experience human things,” Peter said after a few moments, not quite looking at Vision. “I mean… all you need to be able to be human is to feel, and Tony told me you feel just like he or I do, so…” Peter shrugged. “Have you considered travelling? I mean, it might help to see and integrate with different people.” 

Vision gave Peter a curious look. “Dr. Stark said that?” He tilted his head. 

Peter frowned. “Was he wrong?”

Vision shook his head. “No, he is correct. I do feel. I don’t know if I feel like any other human does, but I certainly do have sentiments, but I guess… I don’t look at the world like a human does.”

“You don’t have to look at the world the same way,” May told him, finally coming to sit down on the other side of the couch. “Vision… that’s what is magnificent about you. You are not like everyone else, and that’s not a bad thing. Every human being is unique in their own way, and so are you. That distance you were telling me about the other day? Honey, that’s all in your head.” She bent forward and grabbed his hand. “Hey, it’s all about building memories and letting yourself  _ feel.” _

Vision seemed to consider her words, his eyes softening as he regarded the woman. “I just don’t know… where to start.” 

She smiled at him and winked as she said “I can help with that.” 

Peter looked between the two, feeling a little weirded out by the change in air, but not mentioning, instead saying. “Um, well that’s nice. You said you wanted to talk about Mr. Stark though, right?” 

Vision nodded, finally dropping May’s hand to turn to look at Peter. “Do you truly care for Dr. Stark, Peter?” 

“Of course! I mean I have looked up to him since I was like 8. He’s… why do you ask?” Peter asked, looking a lot more confused than before. 

“You see, I was born out of the ashes of his AI,” Vision started, his eyes turning sad. “I have some of the AI’s memories, but I am not him, and Dr. Stark knows that, hence why it is… difficult for him to be around me.” 

Peter’s frown deepened, even more confused than before. “Wait, so Tony is uncomfortable because you remind him of his AI?” 

Vision nodded. “We share the same voice, and I do retain some of Jarvis’s memories, but we are fundamentally different creatures. I have never personally mourned, so I am not sure how one goes about comforting someone who has lost someone so dear to their heart, especially when you remind them of the dead.” Vision sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I… don’t really know Tony Stark, but I… I care for him, and I want to help. I am not human and I do not know what he needs, so I have to come to ask for your help.” 

Peter froze, unable to fully process what Vision was saying. “I… Viz, I care for him, but I don’t…” Peter paled then, when he realized he actually did know what it was like to mourn. He had, after all, lost his parents. “Everybody mourns differently, and so everyone needs different things.”

“Something everyone needs, though, is understanding,” May reasoned. “Knowing that they have a friend they can rely on generally helps a lot. Just… you know being there as they work through the pain. When we lose people we love… we lose a piece of ourselves, and sometimes it takes many years to get that piece back - and we never get it back quite like it was. We never stop missing the people we lose, but we learn how to live without them.” 

“I think just… letting your relationship grow into its own thing will help,” Peter added. “It’s important that he builds a relationship with you as you, because that also helps him let go of the fact that ya part of you came from Jarvis.”

Vision nodded. “I am not quite sure how to form a relationship with him, not after…” Vision sighed and shook his head. “After everything he has been through, it is very hard for him to allow people in, and I have given him no signal that I am any different than those that have betrayed him in the past.” 

Peter looked shocked at that. “Viz, you are nothing like the people that have hurt him,” Peter pressed. 

“I injured his best friend, because I was too preoccupied with… my own emotions for a woman who broke the law,” Vision told Peter, his eyes hard. “Do you honestly think he has forgiven me for that?”

“Yes, he has,” Peter said immediately. “Look, I’ve never talked to Tony about it, but of what Rhodey has told me, Tony blames himself for that injury, not you. Besides, I don’t think you understand just how kind Tony is. He is not going to hate you for a mistake. Besides, you’re here aren’t you? The entire team left, and you didn’t. That counts.” 

Vision watched Peter curiously. “I can see why he cares so deeply about you. You are… pure,” vision said, for lack of a better word. He stood up then, looking at Peter with serious eyes. “I will consider all the things we have spoken of here, and, if I may, I want to give you a piece of advice as well. Do not forget to cherish the trust and love Dr. Stark has placed upon you. There are very few people he lets into his heart, and yet, to him, you are his family. You, much like Jarvis and Friday, are one of his children. Thus, your actions have a more direct impact on him than those of the rest of the world. So, be careful with his heart, Mr. Parker,” Vision said, his voice both kind and threatening at the same time.                  

Peter did not respond, feeling a little too overwhelmed by the truth behind those words. 

Vision turned then and said his goodbye’s to May, kissing her softly on the cheek. They looked at each other for a second too long, both feeling a spark they dared not name. Vision straightened up then, shaking away the feeling before floating away, leaving both aunt and nephew lost in thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is a bit shorter than you are used to, but hey, maybe I'll be able to write the next one a lil faster than I have in the past haha.


	15. Reckless battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "He was afraid of him in the same way that he was afraid of the night horrors. Because they had killed him before, and they would kill him again, and he precisely remembered the pain of each death. He felt the fear in his chest, and in his face, and in the back of his head. Sharp and stinging, like a tire iron.”   
> ― Maggie Stiefvater

Norman fixed his tie for the upteenth time, checking his jagged reflection in the dirty metallic wall of the elevator. He had had his assistant buy him all types of makeup without giving her much of an explanation other than he wanted it. The woman was thankfully used to him, so she had not comented, nor had she protested when he had refused to let her see him. 

While the experiment had given him power, and a new sense of purpose - to watch the world burn - it had also had the unfortunate side effect to ruin his perfect porcelain skin. The white creamy color had turned pale and greenish and where he had once been smooth he now had coarse, reptilian-like skin. And, while he could not really be too bothered by it - considering the strength and regenerative abilities the experiment had given him - he also was aware he couldn’t exactly show up looking like that to the Parker’s residence. 

Thus, he had done his best that morning to apply the strange, sticky-feeling layers of makeup to hide, at the very least, the new tone of his skin. It wasn’t perfect, but he looked more like a very sickly person than a newly enhanced human with the makeup, so he counted it as a small win. 

The elevator gave a small ding that brought him out of his thoughts, and he smiled to himself as the door opened. Last time he had been here, things hadn’t exactly ended great, mostly due to his aversion to Tony Stark and May’s love for the man, but he was sure that, if he didn’t mention the bastard, he would be able to get on May’s good graces again without a problem. Peter was a different story. He would have to work a little harder to gain the boy’s approval, what with how things had ended last time. 

He stopped outside her door for a second, a painful spasm running though his body that almost brought him to his knees. They had started happening about a week ago, after his encounter with the idiotic spiderman and his knight in shining armor. The pain had been incrementally increasing, washing away whatever part of his old self he managed to remember. He hadn’t yet decided whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, not that he had enough sense of mind to make a choice. 

He clutched at his stomach and dropped to his knees, the spasms getting worse as the same burning sensation that had overcome him when he had first used the formula assaulted him. He closed his eyes, unaware that the yellow of his eyes was currently alight, making him look even more inhuman than before. He was only aware of the pain, and of the fact he needed to stay quiet, for he couldn’t let May find him like this.

With his eyes closed he forced himself to find a distraction, relying on his newly enhanced sense of hearing to find something to listen to. If he concentrated, he could hear a car honking a few blocks down the road. He could hear a squirrel running downstairs on the grass, freezing when a young man passed it by, running, his feet trudging hard against the pavement. He could hear May’s neighbor moving around their kitchen, grabbing what sounded like an eating utensil. He could hear May speaking too, probably sitting on her couch or somewhere in her living room.

Her voice was soft and warm, as usual. He concentrated on that, tuning everything else out as he tried to fight the pain. 

“Please tell me you finished your project already, Peter,” the woman said with a long suffering sigh, as she got up from the couch to make herself tea - or so Norman figured as he could hear the water in the kitchen suddenly running. 

“I mean I did most of it,” Peter said, his voice sounding slightly different as it was coming from the loudspeaker of the phone. 

He was unable to flat out lie to his aunt for fear she would catch him later. He valued his life as it was. 

“Peter, what have I told you about putting your vigilante duties before school?” She rebuked, looking straight at the camera with angry eyes, making her nephew grimace. 

“To be fair he’s not a vigilante, he’s a superhero May,” Tony suddenly piped in as he popped his head into Peter’s room, making Norman freeze in place for reasons entirely different than pain. 

_ Superhero? Surely it couldn’t be  _

“He’s also sixteen and will be grounded soon if I hear he didn’t hand in his homework,” May replied easily, sweetly, earning a groan from Peter and a laugh from Tony. 

“Oh c’mon May, Christmas break is approaching. Give him a break. He’s been a good kid lately,” Tony said, half in jest. “I am sure he’ll be responsible, because he knows he has to do things right if he wants to continue being Spider-Man.” 

“You are both the worst,” Peter groaned as he flopped down on his bed. Tony walked into the boy’s room then, bringing in hot chocolate for him before lightly snatching the phone out of Peter’s hand to be able to look at May. 

“How was work, pretty lady?” Tony said with a wink, completely ignoring Peter’s comment.

“I see what you are doing, you know,” She said with a chuckle. “No amount of flattery will save either of you. I know you have been playing around in your workshop all day.” 

“It’s Saturday!” Peter moaned in complaint as he buried his head in the pillow at the same time Tony said “I needed to repair his suit, May.”

The woman just laughed. “When are you coming back home, by the way - not that Tony’s house isn’t home,” she was quick to assure when the man gave her an affronted look. 

“We’ll drop by tonight, we can grab dinner if you want,” Tony offered with a charming smile. 

Peter had been staying with him since Thursday, because the silly boy had gone on patrol and, in his rush to get back to the tower where May and Pepper were having dinner, he had broken his foot after misjudging a jump, making it impossible for him to walk the next day. Thus, since Peter had already been in Tony’s home, the man had managed to convince May to let the boy stay so Tony could monitor him. He had skipped school on Friday, but Ned and MJ had sent him their notes and the homework he had to do, so it wasn’t that bad. 

But, still, May had gone back home on Thursday, so he hadn’t seen his aunt for almost three days, and the woman was clearly starting to miss having Peter close by. It wasn’t often that they spent time apart, and especially not for this long - not since his parents had died anyway.

“Yeah that’d be nice,” she said, taking out a cup to pour in the boiling hot water. 

“Wait I can’t go back tonight,” Peter said suddenly, sitting up. 

Tony frowned, looking back at Peter. “Why not?” he and May said at the same time.

“I thought you were gonna let me work with Friday today to find the goblin dude,” Peter reminded him, raising a brow. “Tony, we can’t let him just walk away. He took a lot of weapons.” 

“No,  _ I  _ am gonna work with Friday to find the goblin dude. I am not going to just let him go, Peter,” Tony said with a sigh. “But that doesn’t mean you are the one designated to catch him.

“Give Peter the phone,” May asked, waiting until she was facing Peter to give the boy a stern look. “You are not allowed to go after that maniac. He almost killed you last time. Let Tony or the new Avengers handle it Peter.” 

“He’s not going to kill me, I just wasn’t ready,” Peter argued, once again sounding frustrated. “I can do it, May.” He then turned to Tony. “How am I supposed to get better if you don’t let me practice?It was my mistake he got the weapons. I have to fix it!” 

“How are you supposed to get better if you die before your time?” Tony countered, agreeing with May on this one. “Peter, we know nothing about him yet. We don’t know what we’re going up against, and I am not going to risk your life in a game of cat and mouse.” 

The boy didn’t answer, clenching his jaw in anger. Tony sighed again, rubbing his eyes. “May… wanna take it from here?”

“Peter, you made me a promise when I allowed you to become Spider-Man. You said you would  _ listen _ to us. You promised to step back when we asked,” May reminded him, sounding a touch hurt. “Please don't make this harder than it is.” 

Tony continued to rub his eyes for a second, trying to remind himself that Peter was still a teenager and that sulking was a thing he himself had done a lot during those years and that, despite the kid’s currently pissy attitude, Tony couldn't get on the young man’s level. He was the adult here and his rules were to be obeyed, tantrum or not.

“Anyway, you don't know what he has planned yet, so there's no need to worry before time,” May continued, moving back back to the kitchen to make herself a snack. “Anyway, that’s not the reason I called at all. I was calling to let you both know I’ve managed to convince my boss to give me ten days off for your spring break.” 

“Are we doing something for spring break?” Peter asked, suddenly feeling very confused but perking up nonetheless.

“Well I was telling Tony how we’ve never managed to go to Disneyland,” May said, a small smile tugging at her lips. “And so he decided we’d take a bit of a family trip.” She said, raising her fingers in quotation marks for Peter to see. “That’s what we were checking with Pepper, she and Tony were trying to go a bit overboard, and I had to reel them in,” she teased. 

“Nonsense, you were just trying to be a killjoy,” Tony said, sticking his tongue out. “But I’m glad they are letting you off. We have everything bought already, so it would have been unfortunate if we had to kidnap you to come.” 

Peter chuckled, a small smile breaking through his sulk. “Thank you, Tony. I have always wanted to go to Disneyland.” 

Tony smiled at him, patting the boy on his head. “I also got you and Ned tickets to the next comic-con, in case Disney doesn’t live up to your expectations.” 

That was enough to completely destroy Peter’s bad mood. Unfortunately, it was also enough to completely enrage the mad enhanced human standing against the front door while he fought off the wave of painful spasms. 

Never had he imagined Spider-Man would be no more than a sixteen year old child, playing at being a hero with the support of an idiot who would no doubt eventually get the kid killed. Never had he imagined his own protege, the nephew of his one dear friend, would betray him like this - that said friend would betray him as well. It was inexcusable. To think that for a second he had imagined Peter being able to understand the importance of his experiment, and his idea of a new future. The boy was a hindrance in his way - an enemy that clearly would not give up due to his own stubborn idiocy.

Fury and pain swelled up inside him, as his crazed addled brain supplied the answer. It was clear he would not be able to manipulate Peter like planned, which meant the boy would have to die.

Norman let out a small breath, stepping away from the door then as the burning sensation finally began receding, the fire instead turning to maniacal ideas that could easily end the boy’s life and bring down the great Tony Stark right with him.

Perhaps this would turn out to be a blessing in disguise; he would take out the meddling Spider-Man and his idiotic mentor. Perhaps, when he really thought about it, it would be best to eliminate all of them, all those tied to the two feeble superheroes. That would finally set Norman free from all the human shackles he had been saddled with before the experiment, and he would be blissfully free to guide the world into a new, brighter era.

Yes, that was it, he would destroy Peter Parker and all those near him - one at a time. And with each death, Norman would be a little freer to simply  _ be. _

* * *

Peter hovered over his chemistry book, a snake-like gummy hanging from his mouth as he highlighted half a paragraph. He sighed to himself, looking out the window for the uptheenth time. “Karen… can you crack into the info Friday found?” He asked as he bit his lip. 

He knew that even asking would get him in trouble if Tony found out, but what else could he do? He understood his aunt and Tony were just trying to protect him and, honestly, most of the time he really appreciated it. He understood now that perhaps taking Toomes on his own hadn’t been the greatest idea. He got that he needed more training, and that Tony still didn’t tell him everything he planned or thought and probably never would - which was fucking frustrating, but whatever. 

Point was, he got why they didn’t want him going after the goblin, but there was something about the man, something about the way he made Peter’s senses go haywire, his skin crawl, and his heart jump to his mouth, that had Peter convinced this wasn't the usual threat. 

With Toomes, the man had been misguided and bitter and cruel, but he hadn't been completely deranged. When he had met the vulture, it had felt like a dangerous snake ready to strike, ready to take Peter down if he stood in its way. The Goblin had felt like a tornado ready to destroy  _ everything  _ in its desired path. And Peter couldn't simply sit back and do nothing. 

He knew Tony would take the threat seriously, but Peter didn't think the man understood just how utterly dangerous Peter's gut told him this man was. Peter needed to now what the goblin was up to  _ now _ or he was sure people would suffer. 

“I’m afraid that information is restricted,” Karen replied, sounding apologetic. “If you wish, I can ask Mr. Stark-”

“No, don't ask him anything,” Peter was quick to say. “but … could you just check everything is quiet in New York?” he asked, a gnawing feeling eating at him at the back of his mind. 

“Of course,” Karen said, making Peter’s watch show a hologram of her search. “It appears the target you are interested in was seen today,” Karen informed him. “He went back to the same factory you saw him last.”  

Peter perked up at that, his heart beating a mile a minute. “Is he still there?” 

“Most likely,” Karen said. “Would you like me to hack into their security feed?”

“Yes,” Peter said as he quickly stood up, leaving his homework sprawled on the table. He ran to his bathroom, grabbing his suit on the way. He put it on quickly, calling ned while he did so. “Karen, is Tony still in or near New York?” Peter asked, knowing that the most grown up thing for him to do was to tell the man. Maybe that way he would let Peter go with him.

Right now he was repeating past mistakes - mistakes that had once cost him the suit. 

“No, he boarded the plane approximately an hour ago,” Karen informed him. “I can leave him a message if you want.” 

Peter groaned. Tony had been planning on staying with him the whole day, going even so far as making dinner plans with May. But, as it sometimes happened, Pepper had called him and informed him of an impromptu meeting with some board members The problem had been that these particular members had managed to lock down a meeting with a big potential inventor and they were now waiting for Tony in Chicago to try to close a deal. Thus, before leaving he had dropped Peter off at his apartment with his aunt with a promise to make it up to them the following evening. 

Which, for Peter’s current problem, was very bad news because, even if Tony were to turn the plane around now, it would take the man over an hour to get to the compound. 

What if the goblin had planned this? What if he knew Tony had had to leave which is why he was moving again today? 

“Hello,” Ned said as he finally picked up the phone. 

“Ned I need your help,” Peter said as he came out of his room and opened his bedroom window, jumping out without thought. 

His aunt was home, but he had told her he had homework to do. That meant he had at least a few hours before she would come in to let him know dinner was ready. He had enough time to sneak out and back in without her realising. He knew he’d be in trouble for what he was doing, but if Tony wasn’t available, then he had to go, and there was no way the man was letting him go alone. 

“What happened?” Ned said, immediately alarmed. 

“Long story, can you get Harley on the line? I need both of you. Karen send them the feed of my fight with the goblin,” Peter said as he ran up to the top of the building to begin making his way to the factory.“Also, give me his coordinates.”

“Files have been sent,” Karen informed him just as a map popped up on the right hand corner of his right lens. 

“ETA?” Ned asked, starting to click away as he opened up the info Karen had sent him. 

“twenty-five minutes,” Karen said, eliciting a groan from both boys. 

“Karen try to keep your eyes on him, we need to catch him,” Peter pleaded as he swung himself as fast as he could. 

“What happened, why are you calling in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday?” Harley said as he accepted the three way call Ned had set up. 

“Did you watch the video?” Ned asked. 

“I’m watching it now,” Harley said in a clipped tone that reminded Peter of Tony. “Damn, and Tony’s letting you go after him?”

“Um, no, but he’s not here right now and we can’t let him go,” Peter said, grimacing at the silence coming from both ends.

“You’re a fucking idiot, Parker,” MJ suddenly piped in as she sat down next to Ned, having overheard the last bit of conversation. 

“MJ? What-”

“I came over to Ned’s house,” she said cheerfully. “We have a project we have to do. Also, if Tony said to drop it you probably should. He will murder you otherwise, and we’re not going to save your ass.” 

Peter grimaced. “MJ… look I don’t like that I’m doing this either but this guy is dangerous, alright? Tony hasn’t been able to find him since he disappeared a few weeks ago. If I let him go now, we might miss our only chance. I have to take him down. That’s why I called you guys. I am not going in alone like last time.” 

His friends did not answer, but they did not hang up on him either, which meant they would not desert him, and, for now with his heart wanting to beat out of his chest, that was enough. 

* * *

“Fuck even the factory is ominous,” Harley complained, sitting at the edge of his seat as Peter quickly made his way inside the factory. “Peter, there’s barely any weapons in this place, why the hell would he be back here? Also it doesn’t make sense that he hasn’t moved in almost an hour, there’s something wrong here.” 

“Peter… get out of there,” Ned said suddenly. “Harley is right, something’s not right here. This might be a trap.”

“Even if it is… I can’t leave now,” Peter said, keeping his voice low. “Ned, this might be our  _ only  _ chance.” 

“What good is your chance if you end up dead!” MJ snapped, her worry clear in her voice. “Peter, please, get out of there. Call Tony. I don’t want to lose you because you decide to be an idiot.” 

Peter bit the inside of his cheek but stopped walking, and sighed. “Alright, alright, I… okay, but, Karen make sure to track-”

“Ah, Mr. Parker… finally. I was wondering how long it would take you to come,” a macabre voice said from behind him as the sound of propulsors wired up. 

Peter quickly turned around, frozen solid at the sound of his given name. There he found the goblin, looking even more crazed than he had last time, his yellowish eyes now holding a red tint to them. Peter felt a shiver run down his spine as that same feeling of danger assaulted him. 

“What’s the matter, cat’s got your tongue?” He asked with a deranged laugh, lunging at Peter in a blink. 

The boy avoided the movement thanks due to his heightened senses only, but he still was too shaken to answer. 

“Why did you call me that?” Peter ask, forcing himself to keep his voice as steady as possible. 

“Oh, are you going to pretend that that is not your name?” The man asked him with a raised brow. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find you? Someone as sloppy as you” the man lied through his teeth. “I know everything about you, boy,” he said as he laughed again, pulling out the same remote he had pulled last time. He clicked a number of different buttons at the same time, just as Peter staggered backwards, still too dazed by the fact that this man knew who he was. 

The man threw three bombs at him, which peter jumped to avoid, but as he jumped a heavy metal fell atop him, pinning him to the ground and breaking a few bones in the process. Peter screamed in pain, not having seen the box falling as his mind had been spiraling out of control while also trying to keep him alive. 

“PETER!” He heard three voices scream in his ear. 

The goblin approached him then, before he could get the chance to get up and pulled the mask off with an angry hand. He slashed at Peter’s face with his long claw-like nails, leaving his cheek bleeding. “You should know, Mr. Parker, that little kids that play with fire get their fingers burnt,” the man said angrily, though there was a deep, sinister satisfaction welling up in his voice. “Now… I want you to know that I am going to destroy every single thing you hold dear, and you are going to be unable to do a single thing about it,” the man said happily as he inched closer to Peter’s face, his disgusting breath making Peter gag. 

Peter tried to struggle against the man’s iron grip, but there was not much he could do, as the Goblin pulled out a clear looking substance held in a long syringe and injected him with it. The needle cleanly piercing his vein. 

“Sweet dreams, Mr. Parker,” the man gritted out as Peter tried touching his new wound. He laughed at Peter’s expression when the boy realized he couldn’t feel his arm. “Don’t worry Mr. Parker… I am not going to kill you today. I have another…  _ prettier  _ target in mind.”

“No..” Peter croaked, his body going limp as his mind screamed with horror before everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is like the worst possible time to give you a cliffhanger lol don't hate me. I will try to update soon


	16. Blood of My Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Everyone keeps telling me that time heals all wounds, but no one can tell me what I’m supposed to do right now. Right now I can’t sleep. It’s right now that I can’t eat... Right now all I seem to do is cry. I know all about time and wounds healing, but even if I had all the time in the world, I still don’t know what to do with all this hurt right now.”   
> ― Nina Guilbeau

“Boss, Karen has activated a distress signal,” FRIDAY chimed in, her tone holding the edge it usually took when Peter was in danger. 

Tony who had been on the verge of sleep suddenly snapped up in his seat, picking up his ipad immediately. “Show me Peter’s feed and tracker,  _ now,”  _ Tony half growled as he activated something on his watch. The seat leaned down and opened, letting Tony sink into his suit as the metal quickly wrapped around him. 

Tony rushed to the back of the plane, opening the emergency exit and jumping, ignoring the distressed sounds of the pilots through the comms, who had no doubt been alerted by the plane that an emergency exit had been hatched open. Tony put his thrusters at full speed, barely even noticing where he was going, as the suit had already locked onto Peter’s signal and was taking him there. 

FRIDAY popped up a video on Tony’s feed, which the man forced himself to watch. He could feel his very blood boiling with anger as he watched Peter leave his home despite Tony’s and May’s clear instructions to do no such thing. He was going to  _ chew _ Peter out for this bullshit. This was one mistake too many. He definitely was taking the suit away this time. Hell, he had half a mind to just burn the damn thing, even if it meant burning down a suit that was worth millions of dollars - it was the principle of the thing which really mattered to Tony. 

Peter would learn, one way or another, to  _ listen  _ to his damn family when they told him to stay put, even if Tony had to become the mean parent in order to achieve it. 

“Give me his vitals and an ETA,” Tony said, his voice still filled with anger. 

“He was put under, but his vitals are holding up,” Friday was quick to inform him. “ETA, two hours and twenty minutes.” 

“Oh for fuck’s sake. Contact May, and tell her what happened. Tell her to go pick Peter up and take him to the tower,” Tony said urgently, feeling even angrier that there was nothing he could do to reach his boy faster.

FRIDAY remained quiet for a few moments as she tried to place the call. After a few minutes FRIDAY sai “Ms. Parker is not answering the phone, boss. Shall I leave a message?”

“No, she never checks those. I don’t think she knows how. Just keep trying to reach her until she picks up. Is there anyone else in New York? Rhodey? Vision? Has Pepper left for Japan yet?” 

“Ms. Potts left half an hour ago, boss, and Colonel Rhodes is currently in a meeting with his former commander. Vision is on his way back  to the compound. Shall I contact him?” 

“Yes, give him Peter’s location, and have him go pick up my kid,” Tony said, a glimmer of hope making itself known in his heart. “Have doctors ready at the compound. We need to make sure he wasn’t injected with some slow-acting poison.” 

After another few torturous minutes, FRIDAY said “Vision is en route, sir. He will get there in approximately thirty minutes.” 

Tony screwed his eyes shut. That was still a fucking long time, but it was much better than his current two hour trip to the factory. 

“Sir, Mr. Leeds and Mr. Keener are trying to contact you, shall I patch them through?” 

_ Of course, they were in on it. They had probably accompanied Peter into the fucking factory to begin with. _

Tony was starting to see red. “Yes, put them through,” he said softly, forcing himself to take a few breaths as the call connected. 

“Mr. Star, sir, Peter-”

“Ned, shut up, let me do the talking-” 

“Tony, oh thank god, dude you gotta go-”

“ _ Silence _ !” Tony growled, his efforts to keep his temper in check falling to the wayside as the three teenagers’ antics reminded him of his own little urchin that often clashed with his friends to get in the first word. 

All three of them stilled, none having expected to hear Tony scream. 

“Mr. Stark Peter is in danger,” MJ half whispered, being the first to snap out of her shock. “He needs your help.” 

“He wouldn’t need my help if he had only done what I asked him to do!” Tony snapped again, screwing his eyes shut again. “And you three… what the hell were you thinking letting him go like that? If he calls you with a stupid idea in mind, the least you can do is call me so I can stop him!” 

Harley grimaced. “You already know don’t you?” 

“Of course I do, Karen sent me a distress signal after he was  _ injected  _ with something,” Tony said, doing his best to keep the bite out of his voice. 

“I… I’m sorry tony,” Harley said honestly. “I would have called you, but Peter said you were on a plane, so I figured the least I could do was support him via phone. We couldn’t let him go alone!” 

“Harley, you know very well I have a phone on the plane.  _ You could have called.”  _ Tony sighed. “Look… I am not in the best headspace right now, kids, and I… What you did is in no way okay and we’ll be having a conversation later, with all four of you, about how responsability works. Right now I need to go get Peter.” 

“Right, yeah, we… just… keep us updated, please? We care about him a lot, sir,” Ned said meekly.

Tony felt something inside him break at that, and he felt a pang of guilt for having screamed. “I will make sure FRIDAY keeps you up to date. Don’t worry, Ned, I’ll make sure he makes it out of this as unharmed as possible.” 

“Be careful, Mr. Stark, he said… he said he was going after someone else. He might be coming for you,” Ned said softly. “He knows who he is, Mr. Stark, he knows Peter’s secret identity.”

“I know, Ned,” Tony said, still feeling a little breathless with fear. “I… I will try to keep you all safe. Don’t worry.”

* * *

“I am an hour away from the compound, Viz,” Tony said through the comm. “How is he doing?” 

“He’s starting to wake up, though slowly,” the android told him as he sat next to Peter in the infirmary. “He hasn’t been poisoned, and with the liquids they put in his system, he should be able to slowly eliminate the drugs from his system soon.” 

Tony breathed a sigh of relief. “Any other problems?” 

“He has a few broken ribs, and his shoulder was torn, but they set it right and put him on a sling. With his healing ability, he should be fine in a few days,” Vision told Tony soothingly. 

“Have you managed to get ahold of May?” Tony asked, finally able to turn his attention to other things. He had deployed three units, one for each kid, to protect them, but he hadn’t been able to send one to May yet as he had no idea where the woman was, considering she wasn’t answering her home phone.

“I got ahold of her about half an hour ago, and told her what had happened. She was upset but said she was coming to the compound. I haven’t been able to reach her since, it keeps sending me to voicemail. I don’t know if perhaps she forgot to charge her phone.” 

Something inside Tony went cold at that. May would  _ never  _ not answer the phone if she knew her nephew was hurt. Moreover, she had a Stark phone which had an emergency battery in case it did indeed lose power. 

“FRIDAY put Peter’s feed back on, show me the end of the altercation, when he injected Peter.” 

The AI did as told, pulling up the ending of the clip for Tony to peruse. The man felt his blood run cold as he listened to the Goblin again. 

He was going after a  _ prettier  _ target.

Fuck, he wasn’t going after Tony.

“FRIDAY, have all available units do a search of the city. Find May. Now,” Tony said, his voice wavering with fear. “Vision, keep trying to reach her.”

“Do you think she’s in danger?” The man asked urgently, immediately getting up from his chair. “Surely he wouldn’t go after her? She won’t be worth anything to the Goblin.” 

“But she’s worth everything to Peter,” Tony said, cursing himself for not having thought of it before. “I… I need to go look for her.” 

“Vision?” Peter said with a slight slur, making both men jump in their skin. 

“Mr. Parker,” Vision said, sounding slightly relieved to see the boy awake. “How are you feeling? Do you remember what happened?” 

“I… the goblin… he… I-” Peter started, finding it incredibly hard to string a sentence together.

“Shh, it’s alright child,” Vision told him calmly, placing one hand atop Peter’s own to calm him down. “I retrieved you from the warehouse on Mr. Stark’s orders. He is on his way back as we speak.” 

Peter paled at that. “He… I thought he was going to-”

“He cancelled his meeting as soon as Karen sent him a distress signal,” Vision explained calmly, sitting back on his chair, trying his best not to show just how worried he was. 

Peter scrubbed his face, groaning half in despair. “He’s going to kill me when he gets back,” Peter said as he moved his hand away, looking up at the pasty white ceiling of the infirmary. “I… Oh my god, wait, he was going after someone else! He knows who I am, Viz, he-” Peter jumped up as he talked, trying to get back on his feet.

Vision placed a hand on Peter’s chest and pushed him back down, barely having to make an effort. The boy might have superhuman strength, but so did Vision and the latter wasn’t currently injured. “Peter, you need to rest. Your shoulder is dislocated, your body is fighting off toxins, and you have a number of broken bones and concussions. Mr. Stark will be even more furious if you injure yourself further,” The android commanded, his eyes losing all of their warmth. 

Peter gaped like a fish for a second. “I… okay, but… Viz, he’s going after someone. I don’t know who but he is going to hurt someone. We  _ need  _ to stop him.” 

Vision sighed. “I know,” the man said, a slight edge of worry bleeding into his voice. “I… Tony is trying to locate him.” 

Peter looked around the neat room, suddenly frowning. “Wait, how long have I been out? Where’s May?” 

Vision swallowed hard. “We don’t know, Peter. The last time I talked to her was about half an hour ago, when I informed her that I was bringing you to the compound. She is most probably on her way, but I have been unable to establish contact with her since then. Mr. Stark is currently searching for her - as a precaution.”

The android’s words were enough to drain any color Peter had regained since he had woken up. “No…. no, no, we need to go find her. Vision, I can’t stay here, I need to go find my aunt,  _ now.”  _

* * *

“Mr. Stark is going to be furious,” Vision commented as he flew a little higher, making sure to keep Peter pressed delicately against him. 

“Viz, I don’t care,” Peter said, his heart in his mouth. “He can be as angry as he wants to be, I need to make sure May is safe, and I can’t do that from the compound.” 

“On the contrary, child, that’s the best place for you to be. After all, she was heading to the compound to see you,” Vision reminded him, not looking down at Peter. 

“Viz… I have a gut feeling, okay? I… if he’s coming after her… if he… if he… they might be at the apartment. If he has her, we need to search the apartment,” Peter said for the tenth time, shivering slightly from the cold. “I know he’ll be angry, but I need to help him find my aunt. I can’t sit back and watch when-”

_ When all of this is my fault.  _

Peter fought back the tears. 

“I am ten minutes away from the Parker’s apartment,” Tony said, still blissfully unaware of what exactly Vision and Peter were up to. “I am going to start my search there and then spread out.”

Peter didn’t say anything, but he gave Vision his best  _ I-told-you-so  _ looks. The man stared back, brow raised, and no emotions in sight. It was a little unsettling, but Peter did not comment, knowing that the man was already doing him a favor by taking him in the first place. 

Peter had told Vision, in no uncertain terms, that he was going and the only way he could stop Peter was to physically fight him. Of course, they both knew that Vision was much stronger than Peter, especially an injured Peter, so the man could have easily kept Peter pinned to the bed. Still, the boy would have probably aggravated his injuries in his attempt to flee. More importantly, given the current situation, Vision didn’t quite have it in him to keep Peter back as he himself was worried for May, so he had agreed to carry the boy back to Queens. 

Of course this now meant they would end up meeting up with Tony in the apartment, and the man would chew them both out for their imprudence, but, considering all of the things Peter had done thus far, this would just be a small thing to add to the large pile. 

They flew quietly, both of them feeling a quiver of discomfort when they saw Tony’s armor gleam in the distance as he reached Peter’s neighborhood at the same time. The man said nothing until they had all landed at the front of the building. Only then did he pull up his faceplate and gave a furious look to both of them. 

“What the hell are you two doing here?” Tony bit out angrily. “Peter you are injured. You need to-“

“Tony, we don’t know where she is and he might have her,” Peter half screamed, looking angrily at his mentor. “I know I fucked up, but I… I can’t… please, I need to be here. I need to know what’s happening. She’s the only family I’ve got left,” he breathed out, his voice cracking. 

Hurt, anger, and sympathy crossed Tony’s features for one agonizing second, before he buried it all down and put on a mask with a small smile. “Right, well let’s go find your aunt,” Tony said as  he opened the door to the building, keeping it open for Vision who was still carrying the boy. They flew up instead of bothering with the stairs, but both of them stopped cold at the sight of the broken door that led to Peter’s apartment.

“Oh… no… please, no,” Peter breathed out as he scrambled out of Vision’s arms. 

He landed roughly on the floor, his hands and knees absorbing most of the impact that rocked through him. He got up shakily and pushed his feet hard against the ground as he ran towards the half burnt door. He half kicked it out of the way as he scrambled inside, forgetting how to breathe when he took in the dismal state of the apartment. 

There were papers everywhere, the coffee table was broken, the television was on fire, the book cabinet was broken and the sofas where half burnt. Worse of all, however, was the now nonexistent wall that used to face the street. 

“May?!” he said in a trembling voice as he stepped inside, stepping over broken glass and debris. “Oh my god,” he cried out as soon as he stepped close enough to notice there was a body near the sofa, half dangling from the now broken wall. 

“NO, MAY!” Peter roared in pain as he scrambled to get to his aunt’s side, past the debris  and the broken furniture. 

Once he reached her side he crumbled to the ground, quickly picking her up to avoid her falling off the ledge. “No, no, no, no, no, please, no,” Peter cried as he brought a hand to her neck to check for a pulse he knew he wouldn’t find. 

Her eyes were closed, and her veins were popped looking greenish blue, no doubt looking like that due to whatever poison the bastard had injected her with. For a second, Peter wished he could pretend she was merely asleep, sick but asleep, nothing more than a little shake away. He cradled her in his arms and screamed as he looked at the cracked ceiling, unable to see much past the tears. 

Tony and Vision walked in then, both looking stricken and horrified. 

“May… my god, may,” Tony whispered as he tried and failed to bite back tears as he slowly approached the two, as if even getting close could hurt them. “Peter…” 

The boy was well beyond being able to Listen to Tony, for he only cried harder, repeating his aunt’s name like a mantra. Tony looked at the boy who was hiding his face in the crook of his aunt’s neck, sobbing harder than he’d ever seen him. Tony went down to his knees as the suit disassembled around him. 

He placed his warm hand on Peter’s shoulder, squeezing softly, unable to do or say anything else. Peter only cried harder, and he shook, coming dangerously closer to the ledge as he began losing control of himself. Tony grabbed him a little harder by the shoulder and yanked him towards him, bringing both May and Peter into his arms without moving them too much. 

Peter moved from his aunt’s neck and moved up to hide his face in Tony’s chest, bringing his aunt closer as he cried, her name like an unspoken plea in his chapped lips. Tony ran his hand over and over the boy’s hair, crying softly with him as May’s cold body made his OWN blood run cold and his stomach churn with unmitigated guilt. 

He should have known the goblin was coming for May. It was his job to protect Peter and his aunt. It had been his job to make sure she was safe, and he had failed. His failure had brought them to this; to Peter crying in his arms as he held on to the one person that had meant the world to him. The one person that had sacrificed more than anyone in his life, all to keep Peter happy and safe. She had placed her trust in Tony, and yet he had failed. Again. 

She was dead.

_ By heaven, she was dead. _

“Mr. Stark… We… we need to contact the authorities,” Vision said after about ten minutes, when it became clear Peter was not going to stop anytime soon. “Also… Mr. Parker… should be moved. This is not… he is injured, sir, and his heartbeat is becoming erratic. He… he will go into a panic attack if he doesn’t calm down,” Vision ended.

While he wanted nothing more than to fall to his own knees and share in the pain the two other men were exhibiting, he had enough memories of Jarvis and Tony that he knew exactly what a panic attack looked like. He could see the telltale signs of one, and he knew it was not something any of them wanted happening right now. Tony looked down and, without needing to vocalize it, he seemed to agree with Vision’s assessment, because he looked up at the android pleadingly. 

“Make the necessary calls, please. I… I need to take care of Peter,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.

The man nodded, shooting another distraught look at May’s body before stepping towards the kitchen to make the call.

Tony meanwhile focused on looking at Peter. He knew prying Peter’s aunt away would only agitate the boy more, but he needed to get Peter out of the room, away from the chaos, to help him calm down. Also, the more he saw his aunt’s body, the more traumatized he would likely become. 

Tony gently placed his hands atop Peter’s and told him “Peter, you need to let her go. Please, you need to let her go. You’re not breathing, Peter,” Tony said as gently as possible as he tried to get the boy to open his unmoving hands. 

Tony shot Peter a worried look when he noticed that the boy was still not breathing, only heaving as he shook harder and harder by the second. Tony tried again and managed to get Peter to release his aunt, though whether due to the shock or because he managed to get through to the boy, he didn’t know. He allowed the suit to close in around him to help him keep Peter back, before the boy could claw back his way to his aunt. 

Tony held him close, murmuring comforting words into his hair, as he held Peter. “Peter please.. Breathe… there’s nothing you can do for her right now. I need you to stay with me, okay? Breathe in and out slowly.” 

Peter tried doing what he was told, but he found that he couldn’t. He couldn’t remember how to breathe. He couldn’t remember how to move, his entire body felt like it was burning. Everything was too much. The clothes against his skin were too much, the air coming into his lungs was too much, the sounds a few blocks away were too much, the dim light in the room was too much. 

She was dead and he couldn’t process it. He couldn’t process anything. He didn’t understand how this was possible. She was May. She wasn’t supposed to die. She was never supposed to leave him. He couldn’t compute this, it made no sense. Peter turned his face away, the nausea rising by the second. 

He wasn’t sure if he was going to be sick or he was just going to break down into a million pieces and never get back up. He felt terribly cold, from the inside out. It was a cold in his very soul that he couldn’t shake off. Surely he was dying. 

He couldn’t find it in him to care. Surely dying was better than this - anything was better than this. Perhaps if he died he could see his aunt again.

“PETER!” Tony said urgently as the boy retreated deeper and deeper into his own mind, unable to hear anything Tony was saying. 

Tony tried to squeeze his shoulders again to get his attention, to get him to breathe, but, a few seconds later, the boy fell into his arms, unconscious. He had stopped breathing for too long. 

“Oh my god Peter,” Tony breathed out in distress as he held the boy in his arms, switching him so he could carry the kid bridal style. He checked Peter over, feeling a sliver of hope when he saw the boy’s chest rise and fall normally again. At least unconscious his system could take over and act normally, even when his mind could not - would not - interact with the world right now.

“I need to take him to the compound,” Tony said, clearing his throat. “His senses are probably going into overdrive, he’ll just have another panic attack when he wakes up again. I need to get him out of here, and I need to check over his injuries again.” 

He put Peter on the couch for a second, kneeling once again to look at May. “Forgive me, my dear May,” Tony said, a few more tears falling down his cheeks as his voice broke. “I shouldn’t have left… I… I should have known they would… I didn’t protect you. I didn’t do my job. I… I won’t let anything happen to him. I swear it. I won’t let him destroy our boy. I won’t let him destroy your memory.” Tony cradled her close then, feeling a damn inside him break as a sob escaped him, and he ran a shaky hand through her hair. “Please...  _ Forgive me.”  _

_ “ _ This is not your fault, Tony,” Vision said as he came to stand behind Tony, squeezing his arm gently. “She wouldn’t want you to blame yourself for something that was entirely out of your control.” 

“I should have been here,” Tony growled.

“And Peter shouldn’t have left this house in the first place, but her death is not his fault either,” Vision said more forcefully. “Her dead is solely on that madman’s hand.” He leaned down and tilted Tony’s chin up. “You are all he has now. You cannot let your grief control you. This is  _ not _ your fault, and it is an insult to her memory to blame yourself.” 

Tony froze, unable to respond to such passion coming from the android. 

Vision stood up again then, still unable to look at May’s face. “I… I will take care of everything here. You take care of Peter. I will make sure-” he stopped, closing his eyes as a flash of utter heartbreak crossed his features. “I will bring back May’s body with me so we can arrange a proper burial.” 

Tony leaned down and kissed May’s forehead one last time, silently begging for forgiveness again before getting up. “I… thank you, for dealing with this,” Tony said quietly as he moved back to the couch and picked Peter up. “FRIDAY… contact Rhodey and Pepper, tell them to come to the compound.” 

“Shall I talk to Peter’s friends as well?” FRIDAY asked quietly. 

“I… not yet. We need to give Peter some time to process before involving more people.” With that Tony picked up Peter again and, with one last look at the woman that had become one of his dearest friends, he took off, his eyes burning with tears all the way back to the compound. 

Peter did not wake, and barely did he stir, as his mind fought to protect itself from the emotional slaughter running though his heart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *whispers* don't hate me


	17. What now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hurt myself today  
> To see if I still feel  
> I focus on the pain  
> The only thing that's real....
> 
> What have I become  
> My sweetest friend  
> Everyone I know  
> Goes away in the end  
> \- Hurt, by Johnny Cash

Tony barely noticed the cold night wind hitting his face as he landed on the tarmac of the compound. Similarly, he barely heard Friday speaking to him, probably telling him something important. He was too distraught and too worried about the boy in his arms to care much about anything happening around him. All he cared about right now was making sure Peter got through this as mentally and emotionally intact as possible. 

“Friday, prepare the sensory room,” Tony said in a rough voice, his emotions still playing on his sleeves. “Have the doctors go there to look over Peter.” 

Tony walked slowly, careful not to move Peter much to let him sleep. Right now the boy needed to sleep away the shock; not only that, but he was rather injured, which also didn’t help his situation. If he woke up and had another panic attack, it would set him back in his healing process; thus, it was imperative for Tony to find a way to keep Peter calm. 

“Mr. Stark,” one of the doctors said as Tony reached his destination, giving the two of them a concerned one over. “We should have a bed ready in a few minutes. We are just preparing the IV, and, we want to look over the injuries again, to make sure he has not aggravated them.” 

Tony nodded numbly. “Just be careful when you look him over. His senses went haywire about an hour ago, and he fell unconscious. Any sound that’s too strong or any touch that’s too rough could increase the shock his body is going through.” 

“May I ask what set off the shock? If it’s a physical injury, we will need to treat it,” the doctor explained gently.

“No, it’s not a physical shock. It’s emotional,” Tony said, looking down at the boy with sad eyes. 

The doctor nodded, not wanting to pry more than necessary. “I assume you want to keep him in this room for tonight?” 

Tony nodded again. “It will help bring his body back down to normal. I… I will stay with him and make sure he doesn’t injure himself further. I will also incrementally re-introduce his senses back to his regular environment throughout the night” 

The doctor nodded. “We still have to stay and monitor him regardless,” the doctor informed Tony and, while his tone was soft, he didn’t look like he was asking for permission. “We will have to monitor him at least for a day or two. I realize he heals a lot faster than the rest of us, but that makes it even more imperative that we are here, as things have to heal back properly.” 

Tony nodded again, his eyes travelling back down to the frail looking kid. Neither man said anything, the doctor because he could tell Tony needed a minute to try to gather his thoughts and Tony because he literally didn't feel like he could string another sentence together at the moment. All he wanted to do was cradle Peter to him and have a good cry.

A nurse came out of the room a few minutes later, her eyes immediately falling on Tony and his charge. “Oh.. sir, the room is ready,” she informed him, stepping to the side to let the still armoured avenger walk in. 

The clanky sounds of the armour hitting the ground stopped as soon as he has stepped into the mostly dark room. He placed Peter delicately onto the bed, before tapping the back of his covered wrist. The movement had the armour retracting immediately, quickly flying out of the room to reassemble itself in Tony’s workshop. 

The nurse stepped up then, quickly moving around Tony to check Peter’s vitals, to re-check and redress his injuries. She moved ever so delicately, noticing the strain in Peter’s muscles and his raised flesh. The boy was breathing slightly too shallowly for comfort, thus the woman left the room and came back with a cannula, making sure to touch Peter the least possible while she placed it on his nose. The doctor Tony had just been talking to worked on the boy’s IV in the meantime.

Tony watched them work silently, thanking them with a nod and a shake of his hand before they could leave. They informed Tony that they would monitor Peter though Friday, and they would come back in the early hours of the morning to check back in on Peter. Tony agreed without a shadow of a fight, thankful that they were not going to disturb the boy’s sleep tonight of all nights. Once they finished their work and finally walked away, Tony stepped close to Peter, his eyes filling with tears again. He sighed softly and leaned down to kiss the boy’s forehead ever so softly, before he himself walked out of the room. 

“Fry, activate noise deprivation, scent deprivation, visual deprivation and thermoception deprivation. Reduce it by ten percent every half hour and return it to normal conditions in five hours. I want the feed of the room on my phone, and I want to know the minute he wakes up,” Tony instructed as he made his way to his workshop, fully intent on looking for the Goblin while Peter slept. 

“Of course sir. Ms. Potts asked me to inform you she will be here in a few hours time, as will Mr. Rhodes,” Friday said, her voice somber.

Tony nodded. “Right… well let me know when they get here,” Tony said as he rubbed his eyes, feeling tired to the bone.” 

* * *

Rhodey and Pepper arrived almost at the same time, both of them with different degrees of left over shock on their faces. Friday had informed them of everything that had happened, both because Tony had asked her to, and to press her point that they needed to make their way to the compound  _ immediately.  _

They walked together down to the workshop, neither uttering a single word as their worry both for Tony and Peter only continued to build. The door to the workshop was locked, and the windows were tinted, which was never a good sign and only served to drive them even further up the wall in their fear. Rhodey pressed his palm against the scanner, for a second fearing that Tony had entered lockdown mode, before the scanner turned green and the door opened immediately. Both of them walked in, the air punching out of their lungs when they found Tony sitting on his workbench with all the lights off, looking at his armour with pained eyes. The only light somewhat illuminating the room came from the armor’s reactor, which made Tony’s haunted look even more terrifying. 

“Tones?” Rhodey started just as Pepper said “Honey?” both slowly walking towards the man.

Tony straightened up then, his body all stiff lines. “She’s dead,” he said, his roughened voice sounding as numb as he was feeling. 

Pepper closed the distance between them then, and hugged Tony to her chest. Rhodey meanwhile sat down next to Tony, grabbing his hand and rubbing circles slowly like he used to when Tony was but a kid trying to play beyond his years at uni.

“Where’s Peter?” Pepper asked after a few moments, knowing that, despite the fact that her heart was grieving for her lover, the main concern here was Peter, whose entire life had just been turned upside down. 

“He had a panic attack and passed out,” Tony said as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to try to stave off the migraine that was settling in. “He’s in Vision’s sensory room. I figured that was the best place for his senses to calm down. He… hasn’t woken up yet.”

“How many hours has he been there?” Rhodey asked. “It’s not good to be sensory deprived for too long.” 

“He’s been there for four hours, and I’ve been dialling down the full sensory deprivation by ten percent every half hour,” Tony reassured his friend without opening his eyes.

Pepper kissed the top of his head. “We need to discuss what’s going to happen next,” she said quietly, not sure whether Tony was mentally ready to have this conversation. 

Tony nodded somberly, pulling away slightly from her and opening his eyes.  “I haven’t been able to find this bastard yet. It’s like he disappeared from the grid. I have Friday running possible face recognitions, to see if we can find his alias-”

“I don’t mean what you’re going to do next about the asshole that murdered her. I mean what we’re going to do next in regards to Peter,” Pepper interrupted Tony gently, running a hand through his hair. 

“He’s sixteen and, since he has no other immediate family, he’ll be put in the system until he’s eighteen,” Rhodey said, keeping his eyes trained on Tony. 

Tony shook his head vehemently. “I’m not letting my kid go into the system, Rhodey, you know that, especially not right now. He needs...” Tony swallowed hard. “Well, I don’t know if he’s ready to accept comfort or help. I know I wasn’t even remotely ready to face reality when my parents died, but there’s no fucking way I am letting him be placed in the system.”  

“He still needs to know he’s not alone… even if he’s not ready to let us help,” Rhodey said with a sigh.

“How are you going to handle… are you going to petition to become his legal guardian?” Pepper asked quietly, though her face was serious. 

Tony frowned. “You have a better plan?” He asked genuinely, not sure whether she approved of the idea or not. 

“It might be better if you… well if you adopt him,” she said after a few seconds, shrugging slightly awkwardly. “It would give you full parental rights, and you would have them for the rest of his life - regardless of whether he is over eighteen or not. If you’re just his legal guardian… well that relationship will be legally terminated when he’s eighteen. It would be…. Beneficial, if we want to keep him safe for the rest of his life, if you have a more permanent legal attachment to him.” 

Tony swallowed hard. “I don’t know if he’d want to… I… He just lost his aunt. I mean what am I supposed to tell him? Hey, the woman you loved the most in this world is dead, but hey I can be your new deadbeat dad?” 

Pepper frowned. “Okay first of all, you would never be a deadbeat dad, so don’t say that. Second, I know it’s a less than ideal time, but we can’t pretend that the world doesn’t keep on moving. The police report was filed today. His file will come up in by morning in the county’s database and an emergency petition will be filed by the county in the family court no later than the end of this week. He will be removed from us and placed into foster care if we don’t act quickly.” 

Tony sighed, and looked away. “Contact the DA, he knows me so he might be willing to have the county push up the case up the pile, and have the lawyers draw up the correct forms for an adoption. I… will talk to Peter about this once he… has a bit of a breather.” 

“You’ll have to be approved by the state as a qualified caregiver for them to allow you to adopt him, but I can make sure everything is pushed through quickly, so we can get this done before the year is out,” Pepper promised him, squeezing his hand. “I should actually contact the SI team right now. I know it’s late, but the sooner we get on it, the faster we can lock down on Peter’s safety.” 

Tony shot his fiancee a grateful look and gave her a soft peck. “Is there anything you need me to do right now?” 

She shook her head. “You need to sleep, Tony. You look like you’ve been hit by a truck. I will handle the legalities, don’t worry. We have contacts in high places, so it shouldn’t be terribly difficult to get an initial hearing by next week. Just rest, okay? Peter will need 110% of you tomorrow.” 

Rhodey seemed to agree with Pepper for, without a word, he helped Tony up. He gave Pepper a nod, and she smiled, feeling then calm enough to leave the room. Rhodey would make sure Tony slept. She had a job to do.

“Go sleep, tones. I’ll stay up and monitor Peter. If he wakes up, or anything - and I do mean anything - happens, I will wake you up,” Rhodey assured him as he walked Tony to the elevator, still feeling a little freaked out that Tony was being so malleable.  

Tony looked at Rhodey for a second, taking a few seconds too long to process his words - which really was a clear signal that he indeed needed to rest. He, like Peter, was not immune to shock, and his body had already handled more than it could for the day. He was hanging on to his sanity by sheer obstinance, but, if he didn’t take the time to shut down and process, he would be of no use come morning. That didn’t mean, of course, that going to sleep would necessarily be helpful, not when nightmares could plague his mind as they had done for years. 

Still, he pushed all thoughts of nightmares aside and concentrated on what was important; he needed to be there for Peter when he woke up. With that thought in mind, he brought Rhodey close and clung to the man for a second like he used to do when they were in uni. Rhodey ran a hand through Tony’s hair as the man shook, a few tears escaping him. 

“I’m so sorry Tony,” Rhodey told him honestly. 

“She didn’t deserve to die,” Tony half sobbed, the day finally catching up to him. “He didn’t deserve to lose her. He’s so young, Rhodey.” 

Rhodey pressed Tony closer, only half releasing him when the elevator doors opened to reveal Tony’s floor. He helped the man reach his room and then sat him down on the bed. The last time Tony had looked this haunted Steve had rammed a shield into his chest and Rhodey had lost mobility of his legs.

He bit his lip and moved around to find Tony’s pajamas, wordlessly helping him change, as the man had finally started full-on crying now, and Rhodey new there was no stopping the waterworks now that the dam had been shed.

Once Tony was changed, Rhodey helped the man into bed and climbed in next to him, taking up the spot Pepper usually slept in. He pressed Tony’s head against his chest and held the man steadily, not even slightly bothered by the fact that his shirt was steadily becoming dirtier with Tony’s tears and snob. 

“We’ll get through it, Tony,” Rhodey whispered over and over again. “We’ll make sure Peter gets through it.” 

He held Tony until exhaustion finally claimed the man and he passed out, shaking slightly even in his sleep. Rhodey sighed and continued to run a hand through his best friend’s hair, looking out the window with stormy eyes. Life was about to get very hard for all of them.

* * *

Peter woke up with a start, feeling like he was coming out of a deep ocean, his body tingling slightly as he slowly regained awareness of the world around him. He did not open his eyes immediately, his mind taking longer than usual to process exactly what had happened and why it was that his body was in slight pain. He took stock of something being stuck inside his right arm, and there was the slight scent of Tony’s cologne in the room, helping him calm down before he could freak out. 

A few seconds later, once his brain was properly on, he froze, his aunt’s body burning to the front of his mind. He jumped upright and snapped his eyes open as an almost inhuman yell left his lips, his heart immediately picking up the pace. 

“Shhh, Peter, calm down, it’s okay. Take a breath,” Tony said immediately as he sat up and grabbed unto Peter’s wrist, pressing on the boy’s pulsepoint to get his attention.

Peter turned to look at him, his eyes wild and confused, before he forced himself to take a few deep breaths. Tony pushed his good shoulder slightly, indicating to the boy that he wanted him to lay back down. Peter did so without protest, though he was looking decidedly paler than he had not ten minutes ago. 

“May… Is she…” Peter swallowed, he couldn’t say it. 

Tony sighed and nodded, squeezing Peter’s hand as he rubbed comforting circles on the back of Peter’s hand. “I am  _ so _ sorry, Peter,” Tony said, his voice breaking slightly.

Peter took a deep breath, tears filling his eyes instantly. “He knew who I was,” Peter whispered, his eyes unseeing. “He… He said my name. I don’t know how he found out but… It’s my fault,” he choked out. “I was careless and it got her…,” again, he could not finish his sentence. Perhaps it was childish, but admitting that she was dead out loud felt like it would make it real, and Peter couldn’t deal with that right now. “All I’ve wanted was to help people but everytime I try… I’m such a fucking idiot.”

“No,  _ stop _ , Peter you didn’t do anything wrong,” Tony said immediately, standing up and placing his hand under Peter’s chin to force him to look at Tony. “If anything,  _ I  _ should have kept an eye on May. I should have never left your aunt unprotected. This isn’t  _ your _ fault, Peter.  _ It’s not on you _ . It’s on me.” 

Peter shook his head vehemently, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. “You haven’t done anything wrong, Tony. You’ve been helping us and, I… oh god she’s  _ dead _ , Tony. She’s dead. I… she was the only family I had and she’s…. I’m alone now. She was not supposed to… I… she didn’t... ” Peter couldn’t finish the sentence, his heaving becoming too strong or him to continue. 

Tony sat down on the bed then, bringing Peter in for a hug. He rocked them back and forth, kissing the top of the boy’s head as he ran slow circles on his shoulder blades. “You are not alone, Peter. You will not be alone for so long as I live,” Tony promised ardently. 

Peter clung to the man, shaking viciously as memories of his aunt flashed through his eyes. “She didn’t deserve it.”

Tony sighed and nodded. “I am sorry, kid. I am so sorry,” Tony said again as he changed his angle to lean against the bed, which forced Peter to lay back down. 

Peter didn’t have the strength to get Tony not to blame himself at the moment, so he just clung tighter to the man. There were so many things they needed to talk about. He didn’t know how long he’d been out. He needed to know where his aunt’s body was. He needed to know where the goblin was, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. It was like his mouth was refusing to work at the moment.

Tony must have sensed the thoughts coursing through Peter’s head though, because he said “We’ll discuss everything later, okay? Right now you need to rest a little more, and you need to eat. For now just… try not to think,” Tony said, knowing it was much easier said than done. 

Peter did not respond, pretty sure that if he tried to eat anything at the moment he would just throw it back up. He wasn’t sure Tony would want to hear about the fact that the only thing Peter really wanted to do right now was to claw his heart out, if only to feel a little less pain for a bit. He needed something, anything, to make the cruel reality go away. He could feel himself breaking further and further, his heart only remaining together by the silver thread running through Tony’s fingers. 

* * *

Ned bit the inside of his cheek as MJ virtually bounced herself off the chair due to nervous energy. The last time they had heard from Tony had been yesterday, when the man had told them Vision was bringing Peter back to the compound. He had been stressed then, and he had promised to call them again once he himself reached the compound. 

He had gone completely radio silent, however, which had only served to put all three teenagers on edge. Clearly, something had gone terribly wrong, which was why Tony had stopped contacting them. It was nerve wracking to go through every possibility, each scenario that came to mind more horrible than the last. What was worse, they were both stuck in school, with no news from Peter and no news from Tony. 

_ I am on my way to NY. Have you heard anything from Peter? - Mr. Potato Gun  _

_ No, Tony is still not picking up his phone. Peter isn’t here. - Guy in the chair  _

MJ suddenly stilled next to Ned, the color draining from her face. The boy gave her a worried side look, frowning. He waited until their chemistry teacher turned away to say “What happened.” 

She shook her head, her fingers trembling as she sent the attachment to the groupchat.

_ Fuck. - Mr. Potato Gun _

_ I’ll cancel the bus. I’ll book a flight. I’ll be there in a few hours. - Mr. Potato Gun _

Ned swallowed hard as he looked up at MJ, his eyes unseeing. “This… there must be something wrong. It’s not possible. May… she can’t… she can’t be dead.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait, I have been super busy. It might take me a bit to update again as I will be very busy this coming week. I will definitely update before May 12th though because after that I will be travelling for about 3 weeks where i won't be able to write. 
> 
> I hope you're enjoying it!


	18. Lash out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Right then I thought about all the times I lashed out at people when I was suffering in the past. And I thought about how justified I felt in hurting others, especially when they’d hurt me first, or failed to really help.... most of us can identify moments when we acted thoughtlessly, from a place of sorrow or anger. Most of us have felt pain burning like a hot coal in our hands and felt desperate to unload it, somehow, somewhere." 
> 
> \- Lori Deschene

Tony walked into the room, bringing a delicate tray with him. Peter had been moved back to his room, which had helped at least marginally distract the boy. Still, he had barely been able to hold down food for the past day and a half, and he didn’t really have the energy to move around much. Hence why Tony had called the school, after they had been alerted of Peter’s new situation, and had told them in no uncertain terms that the boy would not be going to school for at least the next week. He needed to give Peter time to gather himself. He also needed to give himself time to make sure the kid was alright. 

Not only that, but there was a funeral they needed to attend, and Tony was pretty sure Peter wouldn’t be ready to go to classes until at least a few days after the funeral. Pepper, bless her, had taken charge of the funeral, arranging everything in the two days that had passed. They were going to bury May next to Peter’s parents - the sole thing Peter had asked for when she had come to talk to him about it.

It had been, in all honesty, the most depressing conversation Tony had ever witnessed Pepper have. For once, even her, CEO extraordinaire who had dealt with all types of people, had no idea what to say or do. The boy had been sitting in the living room - one of the three times he had left his room since they had moved him back there - and he had been… numb. He had barely looked at Pepper, had not even made polite humming noises when pretending to listen. He had asked her to take care of it, his voice breaking on his aunt’s name. And then he had asked her to bury her next to his parents, and that had been the extent of what they had been able to get out of him. 

Pepper had left more shaken than Tony had ever seen her. She had made him promise to look after Peter, to help him snap out of this numb trance, and Tony had almost freaked out on her. Because just what the hell was he supposed to do? The boy was only slightly more responsive with him, and really it was only because Tony was seemingly stuck to Peter’s side at least twenty of the twenty four hours available in a day. 

“I brought you food,” Tony said with a grimace, aware that he was stating the obvious. 

Peter took a few seconds to look up, making Tony’s broken heart break a little more at seeing the poor boy so catatonic. “Thank you,” he whispered, moving slightly to the side to let Tony sit next to him on the bed. 

The man did so carefully, placing the tray on his own legs as he passed a glass of water to Peter. The young man drank it without looking at it, probably even slightly unaware of what he was drinking.

“I made you a sandwich. I figured it was the easiest thing to eat,” Tony said, feeling sorely inadequate for the task of caring for Peter. 

The young man looked down at the plate and took it, still looking paler than usual. “Thank you,” he said again, putting the plate on his lap but not bringing it up to his mouth to eat. 

Tony sighed. “Peter… look, I get that you’re trying to process what happened,” Tony said softly, trying to keep his tone gentle. “But you can’t just waste away. You’ve barely eaten anything these past few days. Your body is taking longer to heal because it has no energy to burn.  _ Please,  _ Peter, you need to… I am not going to ask to let it go, or to move on, because I know that’s impossible. But I need you to let me help you,” Tony said as he turned, grabbing his hand softly. 

Peter, for the first time in a long time, looked truly angry. “Help me? Help me how? She’s dead!” Peter yelled, putting the plate on the nightstand to avoid spilling food everywhere as he turned with murderous eyes to look at Tony. “And nothing you can do can fix that. Nothing you can do can change what I did. How the hell are you going to help me, Tony?” Peter demanded, tears in his eyes.  “You don’t know what I’m feeling!” He accused, as if the man was to blame for his lack of understanding. “You don’t even know what it’s like to lose-” Peter shook his head, unable to finish the sentence as the sudden rage was suddenly replaced by utter sadness - sadness for the loss of his last living relative.

Tony sat stock still for a few seconds, letting the sting of Peter’s recriminations wash over him, letting it hit him like daggers to an already bleeding heart. He took a deep breath, trying his best not to let anger, an intimate anger which he knew so well, an anger that had built after years and years of baseless accusations levelled at him, get the best of him. He stood up, holding the tray a little harder than what was necessary. 

He stopped by the door, tasting bile and bitterness in his tongue as he said “Contrary to what you may think, Peter, I know  _ exactly  _ what you’re feeling,” Tony said quietly, his voice emotionless. “I have lost more than you can imagine. I have lost  _ everything _ over and over again, and everytime I think maybe the universe has finally cursed me enough, that it has taken enough from me and I can finally be happy, it comes back and snatches everything away -  _ again _ .” 

Tony shook his head, his eyes two pools of pain, anger and… resignation. 

Peter paled a little at the look on his mentor’s face, finally realizing that not only did he not know everything there was to know about Tony, especially since the man shared so little information about himself, but he had obviously struck a nerve. “Tony, I-”

Tony shook his head, dismissing Peter’s attempt at an apology with a wave of his hand. “Eat your food. You also need to shower. If there’s anything else you need, let FRIDAY know.” 

And with that Tony walked out of the room, his heart suddenly hammering a mile a minute as snatched of memories assaulted him. 

His parent’s being murdered in a cctv video in front of him. 

Edwin Jarvis dying far far from him in England, without having the chance to speak to Tony one last time. 

Obadiah Stane pulling his very heart out to power a suit made by Tony’s hands. 

Obadiah Stane throwing Tony’s last mercy back in his face by trying to pull the genius down with him at the last second. 

Rhodey pummelling to the ground, unconscious.  

Pepper losing her grip on Tony and falling into the flaming pits below.  

Jarvis being destroyed coding line by coding line. 

Pepper leaving him because he just is too much to handle, too much worry for her poor heart.

The Avengers all dead with the stars looking down on him demanding to know why he didn’t do more.

Charles Spencer left to die alone because they weren’t careful enough. 

Steve Rogers breaking his suit over and over again, destroying their friendship and Tony’s faith in the man. 

Tony looking at the endless, vastness of space filled to the brim with chitauri before falling, falling,  _ falling _ … 

Tony gasped, the tray falling from his hands to land on the kitchen floor, his heart skyrocketing out of his chest. He screwed his eyes shut and crouched on the floor, putting his hand in his mouth to stop himself from screaming. Yes, he has known loss. He has known it intimately, he has felt it everyday since he was a kid and all he wanted was Howard’s praise and love and instead got his contempt and his scorn. And it still hurts - old wounds never fully healed - but it’s a new pain to feel so impotent in the face of the child’s own pain. 

He had thought he could help. He had thought, perhaps, out of everyone, Peter would let him in. But he was wrong. He was wrong because Peter doesn’t even know half of it, and he’s not interested in knowing either. He has his own shit to deal with. Not only that, but Tony has never dealt with his losses in the healthiest of ways, so why then did he think it was the best idea to be the one to help Peter?

Before his thoughts could get any darker, Friday piped in, her voice a lifeline in Tony’s downward spiral. “Sir, Mr. Leeds, Mr. Keener, and Ms. Jones are outside and wish to come up to see Peter.” 

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, looking at the ceiling before lowering his gaze to the unbroken metal tray resting at his feet. “Tell Peter. If he wishes to see them, they are welcome to come up, but, if they do, tell them to come see me first.” 

“Of course, sir,” Friday said, before going quiet again, letting Tony gather himself. 

The man stayed in the kitchen, keeping himself occupied by making coffee as he waited to hear a verdict from Peter. He did not hear anything else from Friday, until the three kids were literally on the kitchen door. 

Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to face them. He folded his arms and leaned against the counter, regarding the three sad looking teenagers. 

“We heard on the news that… Peter’s apartment… is May really-”

Tony nodded, brushing his nose slightly with his thumb as he looked away. “Peter is in his room. I know you want to see him and talk to him, but… tread carefully. He’s not in the best headspace right now,” Tony warned, his voice sounding strained even to his own ears. “If he needs you to back off, don’t take it personally, and if he needs you to stay, then let me know and I’ll make excuses to your parents.” 

Harley approached Tony slowly, as if he was a caged animal ready to pounce. “Are you alright?” He asked softly, noticing the tense lines on Tony’s neck. 

“I thought you were here for Peter,” Tony said dryly as he picked up his cup of coffee and sidestepped Harley easily. The kid had always had a knack for getting under Tony’s skin. He was also particularly good at knowing when Tony had had a panic attack or was walking that line. 

“Tony-”

“Don’t think you three are off the hook yet. We have things to talk about. By no means is May’s death your fault,” he clarified, “but the fact that none of you called me the minute Peter went against my explicit orders is not okay in my books. We’ll have a conversation in a few days, once things… calm down a bit,” Tony said, still looking a little too rigid for Harley’s comfort, before walking out of the room. 

“Something happened between them,” Harley said with a sigh as he started making his way to Peter’s room, wondering how much trouble it would get him in if he asked Peter himself. 

The three friends walked into Peter’s bedroom, finding the boy standing by the door, looking a little loss. 

As soon as they were inside they rushed to hug their friend, forming a cocoon around him with their arms. No one said anything for the longest time, them too afraid to say something wrong and Peter too tired to do anything but attempt to get some warmth from the hug. 

“Peter I… I’m so sorry,” MJ was the first to break the silence, cradling Peter’s cheek ever so softly. 

Peter sighed but did not respond immediately, instead coming to sit on the floor, where he was promptly followed by his friends. “I miss her,” he said after a minute. “I… I feel so lost. I don’t know… I… I feel so sad and angry and I just… It’s all my fault but I keep-”

“Peter none of this is your fault,” Ned said, shaking his head incredulously. “Man, you didn’t kill her, the goblin did.” 

“Yeah, but if I had just listened,” Peter said, feeling like hitting himself - not for the first time. 

“It wouldn’t have changed anything,” Harley said eventually. “He would have found a way. He was stronger than you, Peter, plain and simple, and he clearly has it out for you  _ personally.  _ None of this is your fault, so stop blaming yourself. Also, it’s normal to feel sad and angry and sentimental, so don’t beat yourself up over having feelings,” he chided, though not unkindly.

Peter shook his head but didn’t say anything. “I keep thinking that maybe… maybe I’ll wake up and realize this is just some nightmare, but everytime I wake up she’s still dead,” he admitted, his eyes unseeing.

MJ squeezed his hand. “Have you eaten anything?” She asked after a few minutes.

He bit his lip guiltily. “Tony left food for me but I haven’t yet… I…” 

MJ sighed. “Peter, I know it feels like the end of the world right now… but you can’t let it consume you. She wouldn’t want you to waste away.”

Her words made her grimace as she sounded so much like Tony. 

“I… I need to speak to Tony,” he said after another few uncomfortable minutes. “I… I said things I shouldn’t have.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Harley warned. “You’re going through a lot, Peter. Fights happen, and careless words are usually thrown around then. I wouldn’t recommend you going to talk to him right now, though.”

Peter froze. “Why?”

Harley grimaced. “I know Tony, dude,” he reminded Peter. “He… he needs a minute. In fact, why don’t we do this; you sit tight, eat your food, and I’ll go test the waters, yeah?” Harley said as he stood up.

The last thing he needed was Peter seeing Tony having a panic attack right now. The boy would probably blame himself for that too. Not only that but, if they had been arguing, if Peter has said something that had triggered Tony, then the man would be on edge right now, ready to pounce - which was  _ not  _ something they needed to expose a fragile Peter to. 

Peter frowned, and shook his head. “No, I have to do it, Harley. I need to apologize and…” he shook his head again. “Stay here okay? I’ll… I’ll talk to him and then maybe you guys can stay over and we can have real food for dinner.”

Harley did not fight Peter, but it looked like he very clearly wanted to. They watched Peter leave the room, each looking more worried than the next. 

“Where’s Tony, Fry?” He asked quietly as he walked to the workshop only to find it empty. 

“Mr. Stark is currently talking to his lawyer in his office,” Friday informed him. 

Peter frowned. “Lawyer? What for? What happened?” 

Friday did not respond immediately. “It is to my understanding that this is a subject Mr. Stark wants to discuss directly with you, Mr. Parker, so you will have to ask him directly.” 

Peter did not like the sound of that. He all but ran to the study, knocking at the last minute because May would have killed him otherwise - not that she was here to do so, not anymore. Peter pushed the door open as soon as he heart Tony’s soft “come in”. 

He came to face with his mentor sitting with a rather tall,dark haired, well dressed man that looked to be in his thirties. The man turned and looked at Peter, his dark intelligent eyes pinning Peter to the door. 

“You must be Mr. Parker,” The lawyer said after a few seconds, when it became clear Peter was not going to speak first. He stood up and walked towards Peter, offering his hand. “Jim O’Connell.” 

“Um, hi,” Peter said meekly as he shook the man’s hand, leaning slightly to the side to look at Tony with a question in his eyes. 

“Well since you’re already here, I guess we might as well discuss this now,” Tony said with a small, brittle smile. He had been wanting to talk to Peter about the adoption for the past two days, but he hadn’t really found a good time to do it. 

Between his near catatonic state for the past two days, and the verbal lashing he had released upon tony not twenty minutes ago, he hadn’t really found a way to even mention it - and now it was coming to bite him in the ass. This was not something he wanted to discuss with other people present. More importantly, after what Peter had said, he wasn’t even sure the boy would agree to this. 

Not that Tony would ever force him to do this. If he did not like the idea, which seemed highly likely, he would figure something else out. Anything really, but sending Peter to the system. 

“Sit down please,” Tony said, his voice tighter than usual as his worry and second guessing continued to mount. Once both his lawyer and Peter were sitting down, he said “This is one of my personal lawyers. He is here because of the court case coming up, regarding… well, you.” 

Peter’s eyes widened at that. “What court case?” 

“Now that May… isn’t here to take care of you, someone else has to step up,” Tony started, trying his best not to twitch. 

Tony’s lawyer, noticing Tony’s discomfort stepped up to the task of breaking it down for Peter. “When a caretaker dies, the police files a report which is sent to the courts, and the county - who represent the state - make an emergency hearing petition. It is the state’s responsibility to make sure every minor has an appropriate legal guardian that can take care of them until they are of legal age. If they don’t have a viable caretaker - or if a parent has been negligent in any way - then the state intervenes and the child enters into foster care. You are a minor, and have no blood-related family that can step up and take you in.” 

Peter paled a little, this was too much to deal with when his aunt had just  _ died _ . “So… does that… I have to go into Foster Care?” 

The man shook his head, but before he could say anything Tony said “You are not going into Foster Care, Peter, not under my watch,” Tony assured him. “That is why Jim is here.” 

The man nodded.

Peter frowned, feeling terribly frustrated that his brain was still acting like mush. “I still don’t get what’s going to happen with me.”

Tony grimaced. “Well… Pepper and I discussed this and… of course if you don’t agree then we don’t go through with it. We can find a different solution, but we both thought the best idea would be for me to… to adopt you.”

Peter froze, his eyes wide, and Tony’s heart fell to his feet, breaking into so many pieces the man was pretty sure he wasn’t going to be able to mend this one. 

“Like I said you don’t have to say yes, Peter. If you’re uncomfortable with that idea, then we don’t go through with it,” Tony stressed, feeling bile rise at the back of his throat. “We just thought it would bring you stability and it’s the most efficient way to protect you since I would have parental rights over you even after you’re eighteen, which means I would have medical power and the like in emergency situations,” Tony said, knowing that he was babbling but not knowing how to stop. “I mean I told Pepper you would probably not agree, but we didn’t have much time to discuss it, and I should have talked to you about this earlier, but… I’m sorry, I should have told you earlier, period,” Tony ran a hand through his hair, feeling too many things to be able to pinpoint on a single emotion. “Anyway, like I said, it was just an idea, but if you have other preferences that’s fine. I know you get along with Ned’s parents, so, if you prefer, I can ask them to see if they’ll become your legal guardians for two years. They won’t have to pay for anything, of course. Or, perhaps, there is someone else you prefer? Friday tried to come up with-”

It took Peter more than a minute to realize that a) Tony was blabbing, that b) he was genuinely nervous about this and c) the man thought Peter was flat out rejecting the idea. And Peter couldn’t even blame him. He had stayed quiet for too long, and, after the awful things he had told Tony, really what was the man supposed to think?

Tony had been there for him, day in and day out, for over a year now, and he had repaid the man by disobeying him, by giving him semi heart attacks due to worry, by screaming at him due to misplaced anger and now by straight up rejecting him when the man was extending a hand to pull Peter out of the flames. 

The boy suddenly stood up and rounded the table, moving faster than a regular human would, before all but throwing himself at Tony, who caught him without thinking. The kid buried his head in the crook of Tony’s neck, tears flowing freely before he could stop them or even register they were coming. Tony struggled to rearrange the young teenager to sit on his lap before he could fall to the floor. Once he deemed the boy secure enough, he began patting Peter’s back with one hand and running his fingers through the boy’s hair with the other as he muttered comforting words that sounded a lot like “it’s okay Peter, we can think of something else.” 

Peter shook his head. “No, I don’t… I like your idea. I mean, I just… I mean if you’re okay with it. I… I would like you to adopt me,” Peter assured Tony, still not moving from where he was hiding against the man’s neck. 

Tony froze, before feeling his body suddenly relaxed, and he nodded. “Then we do that,” he assured Peter. He raised his eyes to look at his lawyer, who looked a bit unsure on what exactly was expected of him. Tony couldn’t help but give him an understanding smile. “Jim, would you mind calling Pepper to finalize the details? She knows the drill. I… have to take care of my kid.” 

The man nodded, promptly getting up and leaving the room to give the two men some much needed space to mourn in private.

The solitude lasted then than ten minutes, however, as the door once again barged open, this time to show Harley, Ned, and MJ, looking worried.

Tony looked tiredly up at them, still holding Peter like he was worried the young man would break. “Harley… why don’t you go find something you all want to eat and ask Friday to order it?” Tony asked, pretty sure that none of them had eaten yet. 

Harley nodded, a small, sad smile on his lips. “Sure, tones, c’mon guys, y’all might want to choose to. We’ll wait for you in the living room.”

Tony nodded, as grateful as always for Harley’s intuitiveness. Having his friends around would definitely help Peter, Tony knew. But this was the first time the young man was opening up in the two days since his aunt had died, and Tony, knowing Peter, knew he would prefer to have this moment with as few people as possible. 

Tony sighed and leaned back as he waited for Peter to calm down. He wasn’t yet sure quite how, but his hope was back; they’d be okay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I know the angstttttt, but it's important to mourn in order to heal.


	19. healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “You will lose someone you can’t live without,and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.”   
> ― Anne Lamott

Peter swallowed hard, looking down at the half scrunched up pieces of paper he had been holding in his hands for the better part of an hour with unseeing eyes. The wake had gone by in a blur, words and faces meshing together, serving only to tie up even more knots into Peter’s stomach. 

His senses, not surprisingly, had been going haywire since he had woken up that morning. It had gotten so bad, in fact, that Tony had made him stay in Vision’s sensory deprivation room for a half hour in the morning until they had managed to get his breathing under control. He hated not feeling in control of himself. He hated making everyone worry, but, despite his discomfort, there was little Peter could do to hide his problem, especially when Tony had learned how to read him so well. 

And it wasn’t like he could stop this from happening either. His senses were, for better or worse, acutely tied to the rest of him and, considering he was going half out of his mind with grief, there was little he could do to control them. 

“Are you ready?” Tony whispered from next to him, glancing at Peter with worried eyes. “If you would rather not speak…”

Peter shook his head, swallowing back the bile in his throat. “No, I have to do this,” Peter said, still not looking up at Tony.

Tony did not contradict him, instead he squeezed Peter’s hand and moved to the side to let Peter walk past him. The boy did so after a few seconds, keeping his eyes on the paper to avoid looking at the people sitting on the pews. Thankfully, Tony had used his considerable power to keep not only journalists out, but had forced everyone to leave their phones at the entrance to avoid pictures from leaking to the press. 

Now that Peter and May were so connected to Tony, it was unfortunately national news that May had died, which meant that Peter did not have the luxury of mourning in private. Still he could appreciate the fact that Tony had screened everyone that they had invited to come. It was a rather small funeral, all in all, but Peter preferred it that way. May and him didn’t have any other family, so the only people that had been invited were close friends of May and a few of Peter’s friends that had come to support him. And of course, Pepper, Rhodey and Vision had come to pay their respects as well. 

He cleared his throat as he reached the microphone, leaving the papers on the stand where he also rested his forearms. “Thank you all for coming today,” he said quietly, clearing his throat once again to keep his emotions in check. “I… to be honest I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to say today. I have been working on this speech for a few days now, but nothing that I write down seems to come out right,” Peter chuckled mirthlessly, clearly uncomfortable. “I realized today, though, that there are no right words for this… or maybe May would have had them, she was always great at that. She was great at a lot of things,” she said quietly, closing his eyes to gather the strength to keep going. 

Tony leaned forward in his seat, forcing himself to stay seated instead of just bolting up to the stage, grabbing Peter, and getting him out of there, away from the gazes and hushed whispers. Pepper squeezed his hand, her eyes never leaving Peter’s form. 

“May took me in when I was eight years old,” Peter started again, looking back out to the small crowd. “When my parents died… she lost them too. She lost her brother, the person she had always looked up to, the person that had always protected her. But she never even contemplated her own loss. All she cared about was me; making sure  _ I  _ was okay. I can’t remember a single day since then where she hasn’t been there for me. May wasn’t just my aunt … she was my best friend. She was the one person I thought would never leave my side. She was… she was the nicest person I have ever met, and she taught me almost everything I know. I don’t know what I am supposed to do now that she’s gone. All I know is that I want to make her proud, and wallowing in guilt and pain isn’t going to accomplish that.” Peter wiped his eyes, unable to fight back a few tears. “She might be dead, but she’s not gone. She will always be here,” he said as he touched his heart. “She will always be a guide for me, and I hope she will be one for you all too. If you knew her, even just a little, then you know how good and kind and funny she was. You know how much she cared about others, and you know how little she asked for herself. So… care about the world. Care about your neighbors, and your friends, and your colleagues. Care about people you don’t know. And, more importantly, care about your family. Hug them close, and tell them you love them, because you never know when they might be gone.” 

With that Peter stepped off the podium, looking shaky on his feet. Tony stood up then, unable to stay seated any longer as his eyes told him Peter’s legs wouldn’t hold the boy up much longer. He grabbed Peter by the arm and lent him his strength to walk back to his seat. Peter held onto Tony like a lifeline, once again losing track of time and space. 

Before he knew it, the ceremony was over, and people were starting to exit the church. Peter looked up at Tony who was still looking at him with worried eyes. “We don’t have to go to the reception if you don’t want to.” 

Peter looked around absentmindedly, suddenly frowning. “You know for someone that kept saying he was May’s friend, I would have expected Osborn to be here.”

Tony froze, both confused by the sudden change of conversation, and by the mention of the name Osborn. “Wait, hold up, what?” 

Peter looked back at Tony, giving him an apologetic look. “Norman Osborn was friends with May. They had a fight a few months ago, when he came over for dinner, but.. I don’t know they’ve known each other for years. I assumed he’d be here.” 

Tony’s frown deepened. “Peter… I want you to stay away from Norman Osborn okay?” Tony asked, his voice dead serious. 

It was Peter’s turn to frown. “Why?”

Tony looked around, making sure there was no one around to hear before saying “Because I don't trust him, especially not now that the news about me adopting you are going to break out. He’s been a power hungry asshole for as long as I remember, and, last I heard, he was doing some very shady dealings with some black marketeers that used to buy weapons from my company without my knowledge. I actually still have to check up on that, because, if there are any more of my weapons still out there after the last raid we did, then I need to destroy them.” Tony pulled Peter slightly closer, looking at him in the eye. “But that's not the point; the point is that I don't trust him and I don't think him the most stable of men, so, for my own sake of mind, please don't contact him and if he tries to contact you,  _ tell me _ .”

Peter swallowed hard, surprised to hear such things from a man he had once looked up to. A part of him didn't want to believe Tony, that part that was clinging to whatever was left in the world that held a piece of May. A bigger part of him though, the part that sounded a lot like his aunt, was telling him to listen to Tony. Thus far, the man had never lied to him, and had done his best to protect him. If he wanted him to stay away from Osborn, then the man truly believed Peter was in danger.

“Peter, I need you to promise me,” Tony insisted urgently.

“Yes, okay, I promise,” Peter said meekly, still not quite meeting Tony's eyes.

Tony brought him into a hug. “I mean it Peter, I can't lose you.” 

Before Peter could answer, Vision made his way to their side, his face calm but his eyes terribly sad. “I… apologize for interrupting, but we should start heading out, unless you want to… say your goodbyes again.” 

Peter looked up at Vision, taking a second too long to understand what the Android meant. “I… yeah. I want to talk to her before they… yeah.” Peter disentangled himself from Tony and gave Vision a considering look. “Are you… do you wanna come with us? To say goodbye I mean.”

If the Android was surprised, he did not show it. Instead he nodded, and quietly offered Peter a word of thanks. All three men walked back to the open casket then, Vision and Tony standing to the side to the Peter go speak to her first.

Peter reached out hesitantly, his heart breaking all over again when his hand closed around May’s deadly cold ones. “I'm so sorry, aunt May,” Peter whispered, his eyes filling with tears. “I love you so much I… I am sorry I wasn't good enough to protect you, but I promise… I will be better. I will make you proud.” 

Tony stepped up then, closing his hands around Peter's shoulders. “None of this was your fault, kid, and she was already proud of you,” Tony reminded Peter quietly. He looked down at May and felt his heart half stop. “

_ I promise you, I will do everything I can to keep him safe _ Tony thought fervently, unwilling to voice anything out loud.

He guided Peter away after the body after a few minutes. Before moving away, Peter squeezed his aunt's hand one last time. Tony, for his part, took out a small metal pin with Spiderman’s logo atop his trademark arc reactor one. The little pin shone as brightly as Tony's usual arc reactors. “A little light to take with you wherever you go,” he whispered as he placed it in between her hands. 

Vision waited until both men had moved a little further away to come up near May. His eyes held such sadness, Tony had to look away for a second and blink away the tears. “This light is fitting for her, Tony,” Vision commented softly. “It is as brilliant as she was when alive.” He smiled brokenly. “You belong with the stars, my dear. We will miss you.”

The Android leaned down and placed a soft, chaste lip against her temple before getting back up and walking with purpose to the door. None of them said a thing as they made their way to the car, all too aware that they were leaving a piece of them behind on that coffin. 

* * *

“It's time to get up kiddo, you're gonna be late for school,” Tony called from Peter's doorway, his lips twitching with amusement at Peter's tired groan. “C’mon Pete, you have a quiz during first period. You need to be awake for it.” 

“I'm getting up, I’m getting up,” Peter mumbled as he slowly got himself out of bed, his body feeling heavy.

It had been a little over two weeks since May had died and thus far he had only managed to have one night without nightmares. It helped a bit that Tony had completely prohibited his Spiderman outings, too afraid something would happen to Peter now that he was too consumed by his grief. It meant Peter was going to bed early every night, but that didn't stop the nightmares from coming, and once he woke up from one, there was not going back to sleep.

This, of course, meant he was exhausted more often than not. 

Tony had been kind enough to stay with him every night after a nightmare, just holding him or sitting quietly next to him while putting on random nature or history documentaries to fill the silence. Friday had been very clearly instructed that she was to wake Tony up the second Peter woke up from a nightmare, on the off chance that Tony was sleeping, that is. It meant neither man was getting enough sleep, but Peter couldn't help but feel grateful to have Tony there for him no matter what. Pepper occasionally joined them, making them hot cocoa or just making sure they had enough blankets and water. 

Peter walked into the kitchen once he was showered and dressed, sitting down on the floating island without sparing much of a glance to his surroundings. He picked up the cereal and ate some of it, half forcing it down his throat. It had been some time since he had indulged in the full breakfasts both Tony and May insisted he eat. He wasn’t sure if he was permanently broken, or if he was still in shock, but he was just having a hard time eating more than a few bites every meal. 

Tony walked into the kitchen then, leaving Peter’s backpack on the chair next to the boy. “Are you ready?” He asked quietly. 

Peter shrugged. He knew what Tony was asking; was he ready to face his school again, now that the news of May dying and Tony making the move to adopt him had leaked into the media. He had skipped school for the past two weeks, buth both Tony and Peter knew the boy couldn’t hide forever. 

And so they had agreed Peter would return to school this week. Honestly, Peter wasn’t sure who was more stressed out; him or Tony. 

Pepper walked into the kitchen then, heading in a beeline to Peter to give him a sweet hug before pressing a quick kiss to his temple. “Happy will pick you up today, okay? And he’ll bring you here so you can d homework. Tony and I have a meeting at around three, but I’m sure Tony can come back early if you need anything.”

Peter nodded shallowly, giving the woman a small smile. “Thanks, Pepper.” 

She gave him a dazzling smile in return. “Of course, sweetheart. If you need anything, or you want to come home early, just text me or Tony okay?” 

Peter nodded again, turning to pick up his backpack. He had not finished his breakfast, but he doubted he would be able to eat anymore, as the nervousness was starting to get into his system. He hugged both adults before walking out the door, half thankful that it was happy driving which meant no one would notice him and half sad that it wasn’t Tony taking him as he couldn’t leech off of the man’s courage to take those first steps back into the damn school.

The car ride was eerily quiet, as Happy was too worried to say the wrong thing and Peter didn’t have the energy to be as chatty as he usually was. 

“Thanks, Happy,” Peter said quietly with a strained smile once they reached the school. 

“No problem, kid. You need anything, just shoot me a text, okay? I’ll stick around for a bit,” Happy said with a clap to Peter’s back. 

Taking a deep breath, the young man opened the door and jumped out of the car, half tempted to pull his hoodie up to avoid having people recognize him. Unfortunately for him, as soon as he was near the entrance, people started recognizing him, and the whispers started. He sighed to himself, for the first time in his life hating the powers that allowed him to hear more than he would have otherwise. 

It made him feel uncomfortable to have so many eyes on him, looking at him as if he was about to break down. It made his skin prickly and his muscles tense involuntarily. He wasn’t sure what made him more angry, that people were speculating quietly why May had been killed or their excited whispers about the fact that he was now Tony’s kid.

What the fuck kind of conversations were those? His aunt’s death was none of their business and his adoption was not an exciting thing, not when what had brought it about was May’s death. A month ago Peter would have been overjoyed to be seen as Tony’s son. Right now, it just left a bitter taste in his mouth that prevented him from enjoying the moment. 

Right now all that mattered was the fact that his aunt was gone. 

“Hey, you okay? You look like you wanna punch someone,” MJ said as she caught up with Peter, making sure to keep some distance as she knew the boy disliked sudden touches.

“Oh, hi, I, yes, um… it’s just… weird being back here,” Peter said with a half smile.

MJ nodded softly. “If you need anything… we’re here for you, you know that, right?”

Peter nodded softly, reaching over to squeeze her fingers despite the murmurs and stares. He could see Ned waiting for them near the stairs, smiling goofily as he always did whenever he caught eyes with Peter. 

He smiled back at his friend and forced himself to take a deep breath. Yes, it was hard to breathe, and he still felt like the world was going to crumble around him at any second. It didn’t make sense why the world kept spinning now that May was gone, but he wasn’t alone. 

Not in this damn school where everyone seemed to want a piece of him because of whom he was linked with by the press, and certainly not at home where he had a horde of worried adults trying to make his life easier. 

Yes, none of them were May, but none of them were trying to be. They were just trying to be there for Peter, all in their own ways. With that, Peter felt himself relax minutely as MJ dragged him along the hallway to catch up with Ned. 

They could do this. One day at a time. 

* * *

Tony froze in his seat as he pulled up the calendar, repulsor upgrades all but forgotten on the workshop table. “Fuck me,” he whispered as he brought a greasy hand up to his hair. 

Tony took a deep breath, scrunching his eyes closed as he bent over, resting his elbows on his legs and his head on his hands. Life had become a whirlwind for everyone after May had died. It had taken Peter a month to get his feet back under him enough to start attending therapy, and it had taken them all even longer to make the boy feel comfortable in his new home. 

Between dealing with the company, trying to find a rather elusive Norman who had turned his company over to his son after falling ill according to the media, scourging the earth in search of his old weapons, and the constant nightmares that reminded him he was not doing enough to keep earth safe because he was sure as hell something was coming, Tony had barely had time to breathe for the past few months.

But now his distraction was coming to bite him in the ass. He had completely forgotten he had booked the Disney trip with May a few days before her death. He had never cancelled anything, as the trip had been the last thing on his mind once everything had gone to shit. But now the trip was almost upon them, and Tony still had not cancelled a thing. 

“Hey, Tony, do you think we can take a look at some of my web combinations? I have a few ideas for… Tony, you okay?” Peter said as he came to a stop near the man who was still hunched in on himself. “Is it a panic attack? Should I call Pepper? Friday-”

“I am fine, kid, stop hyperventilating,” Tony said as he slowly unfurled himself, still feeling a little sick. “I just… was caught off guard is all.”

Peter frowned. “Caught off guard? What happened?” He looked around for any signs of break in.

“I didn’t realize it was almost spring break,” Tony said after a few seconds his eyes still non-seeing. “I… “ he swallowed hard and tried again. “I think we should go.”

Peter was seriously starting to think Tony had hit his head. “Go where? Mr. Stark are you sure you don’t want me to call Pepper?” 

“Don’t call me Mr. Stark,” Tony reminded him, though it was half hearted at best. “I mean you and I should go to Disney like we planned with May.” 

At that, Peter turned very very still. “Oh,” he breathed out, his eyes dimming. “I… I don’t know if I… Without her there-” 

“I know,” Tony said with a sigh as he stood up and began pacing. “But she wanted… she wanted you to have a good time, to take some time off and just… be a kid for once. And I know, I know you may never be a kid again, not after all the shit that has happened to you but… “ Tony stopped, growling in frustration. “None of his should have happened Peter. None of the awful things that have happened to you. It is unfair, and I am sorry I am so-” Tony shook his head, smiling grimly. “I know it might not be the greatest trip of your life, but I think we should go for her. Just… I don’t know, nevermind, just ignore me.”

“No, wait,” Peter said as he caught Tony’s hand before the man could run away. “I… you’re right she wanted us both to have some time off. So… maybe we can do the things she liked the most, to… remember her you know?” 

Tony looked a Peter, a small smile on his lips. “Yeah, I do know. So… I guess you and I are going to Disney.”

“You are going to have to dye your hair,” Peter teased. 

Tony frowned. “Are you calling me old?” He said, half offended. 

“What? No! I meant as a disguise! I mean I figured you wouldn’t want people recognizing you,” Peter said with a furious blush. 

Tony burst out laughing, stopping only long enough to say “Peter, I am Tony fucking Stark.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for taking this long to update. My life has been a bit of a mess. 
> 
> Anyway I hope you enjoy. I know i haven't answered comments in forever, but I promise I read each one, and I appreciate them. thank you for sticking with me.


	20. Disneyland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I can do to keep you safe is hold you close  
> Hold you close till you can breathe on your own  
> Till you can breathe on your own  
> Hold tight you're slowly coming back to life  
> I'll be keeping your head up  
> I'll be keeping your head up, darling  
> Let go of all your haunted dreams tonight  
> I'll be keeping your head up
> 
> \- Keeping your head up, birdy

“Alright, first things first, we have to do check in, and then we’re gonna go eat something, because you are looking way too skinny kid,” Tony said as he popped a piece of gum into his mouth before offering the pack to Peter. 

Peter took it, murmuring a quick thank you before saying “you’re the one that hasn't eaten in like, three days.”

“Are you sassing me, kiddo?” Tony asked with a raised brow and a half upturn mouth.

“Me? I would never,” Peter said, all innocent eyes and shocked voice, which led them both into a fit of giggles as they made their way to the front desk.

Tony turned to smile at the receptionist, trying to get them to their rooms before too many people could notice who they were. It gave Peter the time to divagate and realize that, if he was honest with himself, that moment they had just a second ago, that singular carefree second was the first time he had laughed since May’s dead.

He wasn't sure whether to feel guilty or not. 

“C’mon, time to skedaddle,” Tony said as he slung an arm over Peter's shoulder just like he had done that day when he had invited him over at the compound to announce him as an avenger before the boy had refused. It had been over a year since that had happened. 

Tony led them to the elevator, masterfully ignoring the half awed looks he got by the people going into the elevator with them. He stepped out on the third floor, followed quickly by Peter. The man did not walk to any room, however, instead making his way to the emergency stairs to walk up the remaining 7 floors of stairs. 

“Not that I dislike exercise but why did we walk up the stairs instead of going on the elevator like regular people?” Peter asked as they finally reached their room.

“Because the man behind me was trying to get a video and will obviously tell everyone what floor we got off on. Our security detail is en-route because they got stuck in traffic so, until they get here, I’d much rather not have people know what floor we are on,” Tony said as he opened the door to their penthouse mini apartment.

“Oh my God, this place is huge,” Peter said with awe as he walked around the living room that had a gigantic television resting atop a rather nice chimney. There was a mini fridge on the side, and two doors leading to the two dormitories, each with their own full bathrooms. 

Tony stepped in to look at the rooms and quirked a smile as he noticed that one of them, probably the one expected to be used by a kid, was decorated with iron Man regalia amongst the more Disney themed things. 

“Right so this is definitely your room,” Tony said, as he moved to the other room to throw in his jacket. 

“Did you authorize the resort using your merchandise?”

“SI did at one point,” Tony yelled from his own room as he checked on his newest suit prototype - a suit made of nanomites. It had taken him a whole year to get it right, but he was finally taking it out for a test ride.

It's not like he was expecting something to happen while they were in Disneyland, but he preferred to be prepared. And, after what had happened with May, he was not willing to risk Peter's safety for even a second. Hence why he had packed his suit and Peter's suit. 

He was distracted by a soft knock at the door, which he quickly went to answer. It was one of the lobby boys, bringing up their luggage. “Ah fantastic, you can just toss that in the living room, we can sort it out,” Tony said as he helped the young man pick up some of the bags. 

He still didn't understand how the hell they had packaged four bags between the two of them when they were just staying for five days. Yes, one bag was entirely dedicated to snacks and water bottles and the other was solely meant for Peter’s suit, but still.

“Okay our bags are here, we can go grab some food and then we can head to Universal,” Tony called out as he dragged his stuff to his own room before helping Peter with one of his two bags. “Are you okay with Turkey legs?” 

Peter’s eyes sparkled at the mention of that. “But aren’t those only inside the Disney parks?” 

Tony grinned. “Well, I guess we are spending the day in magic kingdom then. It’s okay, kid, I am sure you’ll enjoy the light show tonight,” he snickered as Peter groaned pitifully behind him as they made their way to the door. 

He knew Peter was long past the age for the kiddie parks, but, a small part of him, the one May had helped nurture, knew that it would still be a fun experience for the kid. Most of his plans for the week were more age-appropriate and hit Peter’s interest spot on, but May had wanted for some reason to go to at least one of the kiddie parks. Something about embarrassing Peter and also give him good memories again as the last place his parents had taken him was Orlando. 

And so Tony made sure to buy Peter the mickey mouse ears, a gigantic turkey leg and make him stand still near the castle so that he could take a picture of his kid. He ignored all onlookers, who had rather quickly realized who they were, and made sure to concentrate on his kid. He did not care if a thousand pictures appeared later on the internet; today, he was going to enjoy his time with his kid, even if it meant dealing with people’s bullshit. 

Peter still wasn’t exactly comfortable with people taking pictures of him. He also definitely was not okay with them trying to dig up information about him, especially now that May had died and Tony had adopted him. Of course, the first thing Tony had done - long before May’s death - was to seal Peter’s file, but it was still one of the creepiest things for peter to know people out there were genuinely looking for where he went to school and who he spent time with. He had much preferred the anonymity his life pre-tony had afforded him, especially when it came to his spiderman outings. Of course, it wasn’t like he wanted to change a thing about meeting Tony; the man was the only good thing left he had in life, after all. 

And so he made an effort to try and not let the cameras get him down. He ignored the rather loud chatter he could hear for miles around him -  damn enhanced senses - and focused on enjoying Tony’s goofiness. He hadn’t seen the man act this silly since long before May’s death. He knew, of course, Tony wasn’t actually feeling as light as he was projecting. He knew the man was hurting too, but he knew he was putting his best foot forward for Peter, and the boy appreciated that more than he could let Tony know.

* * *

“Now, I was thinking, if we eat a quick breakfast here in the room, we can head to the Harry Potter world early tomorrow. There might be less people. I did rent a few of their rides for a bit in the afternoon but-”

“You did  _ what _ ?” Peter said from where he was standing on their shared bathroom, toothbrush in hand. 

Tony looked at him confused and spit out his own toothpaste before repeating. “I rented some of their rides for half an hour-”

“No, I mean, I heard you the first time,” Peter said, trying not to laugh. 

“Then what do you mean?” Tony asked as he leaned against the counter, well and truly confused now. 

“Tony you can’t just rent a part of an amusement park,” Peter said slowly, surprised they were even talking about this. 

“Of course you can. You just have to know who to call,” Tony corrected with a grin. “Also you need to throw some money their way, but-”

“Mr. Stark, but if we do that, then people can’t use the attractions!”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Peter, I rented just two of the games for like, an hour, besides they didn’t really do it for me, but because they have to keep their kid safe.” 

Peter frowned. “Kid? What kid, Mr. Stark?” 

“One of the actors was in town, and he’s coming to meet with us,” Tony said nonchalantly looking away from Peter to wash his face. 

“Oh my god, did you rent out the games and made them bring the Harry Potter actors?” Peter said breathlessly, his mouth agape. 

“Just one of the actors kid, and it is only for like an hour, it’s not that big of a deal,” Tony assured him sweetly, smiling despite himself at Peter’s flabbergasted look.

“Tony we both know it is a huge deal,” Peter said as he came closer to hug the man. “Thank you so much this is like the coolest thing. Ned is gonna be super jealous,” he said honestly, his voice cracking. “But don’t go so overboard again, oh my god, it is so embarrassing.” 

“How is this embarrassing?!” Tony whined, as Peter pulled away with a shake of his head. 

The genius huffed a breath and headed to his own room to get some sleep, smiling softly to himself. Yeah, maybe it was a bit overboard. Yeah, people would definitely be taking a lot more pictures of him in the morning, but Peter would have so much fun, and that was all that mattered. 

* * *

“Oh my god, Tony, don’t send them that,” Peter said as he leaped from one side of the couch to the other to try and get the phone out of the man’s hand. 

Tony was, unfortunately, a lot faster than him. “Oh c’mon, I am not sending them anything embarrassing,” he said innocently as he sent the pictures to Harley, Pepper, and Rhodey. “Besides, I thought you wanted to make Ned jealous, and it isn’t like I can send him anything, but Harley can.” 

“But you’re only sending them the embarrassing shots! Also I can’t believe you actually bought the stills they sell at the park,” Peter said with reddening cheeks. 

“Kid did you see your face? There was no way I was not getting in that. In fact Fry, baby girl, have the pictures printed and tell Pepper to put them up on my workshop.” 

“ _ Tony!”  _ Peter complained as the man snickered, both knowing the picture would go up the wall no matter what Peter said. 

Peter rubbed his forehead as he felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket. He was almost 100% sure it was Harley sending the pictures to the group chat they had. 

“So, do you wanna do a movie marathon?” 

“Yeah let’s watch Star Wars,” Peter said as he settled in on the couch next to Tony, willfully ignoring his phone. He was sure there would be a hundred texts for him to read by the end of the movie. He was also sure this was the first time he was looking forward to being teased in a long time.

* * *

“Can we skip the water park?” Peter asked quietly, not quite meeting Tony’s eyes. 

Tony froze where he stood by the door, slowly turning to face Peter. “I thought may said water attractions were your favorite?” He asked, keeping his tone light. 

“Um, they were, when I was little,” Peter confirmed, shuffling on his feet, looking uncomfortable. “But… after the spider bit me… I don’t know, water isn’t fun anymore. Also after the whole vulture thing,” Peter shuddered slightly, remembering the water dripping from the cement walls that had fallen on top of him, constricting the air entering his lungs, ripping his back. 

Tony crossed the room in four long strides, hugging Peter tightly against him. “I am so sorry I was not there to protect you,” Tony said, his voice rough, feeling the familiar guilt wash over him in staggering waves. 

Peter frowned. “It is not your fault, Tony. I-”

“Of course it is my fault, Peter. You were my responsibility. I should have known you were going to go after him regardless of whether I told you yes or no. I should have never taken away the suit. I-”

“And I should have never doubted that you were in fact listening to me in the first place,” Peter countered. “I mean if I had listened, maybe you wouldn’t have had to take the suit away. May was actually pretty happy when I told her you took it away. Not so happy about the fact that I got it back,” Peter said as he smiled against Tony’s shoulder. 

Tony sighed, the guilt not giving in not even an inch. 

Peter stepped away slightly, a watery smile on his face. “Hey, you gotta stop doing that. Harley said you blame yourself for everything, and that’s not healthy. I am fine, and I think we both learned a lot from that,” peter shrugged. 

Tony shook his head. “Come on kiddo, we’ll go stuff our face with waffle fries and ice cream,” he said instead of laying more of his burned on Peter. “Then we can go catch a movie, instead of the water park.” 

Peter smiled softly. “Thanks Tony.” 

“You don’t have to thank me for not triggering your traumas, you know,” Tony said drily, patting his son on his back as they made their way to the elevator, both more aware than ever that they were more than a little broken and a little bruised. 

* * *

Peter dumped his bags in his room before heading back out to the kitchen, where Tony was calling for Pizza. It had been a long flight after an awesome trip, and they were both in need of some sleep, but Tony, being Tony, refused to let Peter go to sleep without eating at least something. 

“Where’s Pepper?” Peter asked, slightly surprised that the woman had not yet come out to greet Tony. 

“She’s in Shanghai,” Tony said as he stretched his back. “We are launching a new prosthetics line, so she and Rhodey made the trip because I wasn’t available this weekend. They will be back tomorrow.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “But I thought you had been looking forward to that launching for months!”

Tiny shrugged. “Pepper can sell the product just as well as I can and, without me there, Rhodey will get a lot more press coverage which is great because they can see the prosthetics in action. Also, he can handle the icky questions about the wayward half of the team,” Tony said, his voice holding a vicious anger he had yet to deal with. “Anyway, I am an engineer Pete. I care more about making the product than being there to advertise it. Besides, our trip was way more important,” Tony said with a wink as he walked with Peter back to the living room to wait for their food. 

Peter bit his lip. “Thank you Tony for… everything. I don’t think I could have gotten through the past few months without you. Also this trip… was really fun. I… I had forgotten what that felt like. So thank you. And I am sorry I was such an ass at the beginning.”  

Tony looked out at the buzzling city, his eyes sad. “Peter… I told you before, I will always be there for you, no matter what,” He turned to look at peter, the darkness of the room hiding half his face. “I know it is not the same, living without her, but I promise you, we will make the best of it.” 

Peter hugged Tony then, feeling a lump in his throat that kept him from divulging any more of his feelings. Perhaps one day he would be comfortable enough accepting that Tony was now well and truly family - he had adopted Peter for fuck’s sake. But for now, he was okay with keeping that quiet. He had lost too many people to not feel an innate fear that he would lose Tony too. Perhaps it was silly, but he wanted to keep a little distance for a little while longer - if only because perhaps that distance might save Tony the fate that seemed to befall everyone that Peter called family. 

* * *

“Tony might kill me when he finds out I sneaked past Happy after school,” Peter says, sounding amused as he sits down. “But I had to come see you without Happy, you know?” He leans against the grave and sighs. “I miss you, aunt May.” 

There is, of course, no response but the wind blowing softly on his face, as if caressing him. “We went to Disney like you wanted. It was a lot of fun,” Peter recounted, a small smile on his lips. “We missed you the whole time, though. Tony is trying to be strong for me, but I can see he is hurting too. I think Ms. Potts and Mr. Rhodes help him though.” He sighed, bringing in his legs to rest his head against them. “I just… feel lost without you, aunt May. I am not sure what… the world is still spinning but you are not here, and you’ve always been here for me.” 

Peter shook his head again, his smile widening when he felt his phone vibrate. He was sure it was Tony wondering where the hell he had run off to. He was probably going to be in trouble tonight. He found that he didn’t mind. 

“I know we’ll be okay. I mean, he’s a good dad, you know? But I still… I don’t think I will ever stop missing you, but I promise you… I will try to do better. I will keep them all safe. I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait, life is very hard at the moment. I know this chapter is shorter, but it is pure fluff so there's that!
> 
> I am hoping to start my new ironstrange fic sometime this week before I update this one again so keep your eyes open!


	21. Decathlon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."   
> Helen Keller

“Did you pack your suit?” Tony asked, leaning against the door of Peter’s room, his greasy black sabbath t-shirt hanging loosely from his frame. 

“First thing I put in the bag,” Peter said with a smile as he continued placing items in the small bag.

“Did you pack your pajamas?” He asked, unrelenting. 

“Yeah,” Peter confirmed as he walked into the bathroom, not bothering to turn the light on. 

“Toothbrush?” 

Peter held it up in his hand as he walked back out, a small smile on his face. 

“Did you pack shampoo? You know the ones at hotels suck,” Tony reminded him, still not moving from his perch at the door. 

“I… am not sure I have space for that,” Peter said sheepishly. “I mean I am only going for three days, so I think it’ll be fine if I use their shampoo.” 

“It’s fine I’ll pack it in mine and leave it at your hotel,” Tony said. “In fact, just text anything you forget, I’ll bring it with me,” Tony said, clearly relaxing. “Oh, and pack protein bars, I don’t know what they’ll be feeding you, but we need enough food for five.”

Peter froze. “Wait, what? Rewind, You’re coming to DC?” He asked, genuinely surprised.  

“Yup,” Tony said, his lips accentuating the p with a pop. “I have a meeting with the Secretary of Defense, and since Mr. I-am-better-than-everyone can’t come to New York, I have to go to him.” 

Peter narrowed his eyes. “Why are you just telling me this now?” 

“Because i just got off the phone with him about thirty minutes ago,” Tony said, completely nonplussed and looking innocent. 

Peter did not buy it not even for a second. “Did you schedule this meeting around my decathlon trip?”

Tony rose an unimpressed brow. “Do I look like the kind of person who would do that?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Peter replied easily, earning a chuckle from Tony.

“Yeh of little faith,” Tony teased as he shook his head. “For your information, I did not intentionally schedule it for this weekend, but I certainly did not complain to Ross about the fact that he's making me go to Washington since that lets me keep my eye on you.”

Peter scrunched up his nose. “I am going to be okay, Tony,” the boy tried to assure him, not because he didn’t want him there but because with Tony being there, the paps were likely to show up. 

He loved the man, he really did, and Tony had been fantastic at keeping them at bay for months, but Peter was tired of the hiding, and of having to keep his hoodie up, and of feeling like a pariah in school. He had not even been able to don the suit in almost a month to make sure they didn’t see him. He was still mourning his aunt - he would always, in a way, mourn her loss - but he was ready to retake his life and give it everything he had. He wanted to do it for her as much as he wanted to do it for himself. 

And so he had been excited for this field trip. It would be the first time since her death that he was out of the state alone. He would get to distract himself with decathlon practice and the nerves that always came before the event. He would get to hang out with his friends without any form of parental supervision and eat chocolate in his room until he passed out from a sugar coma. 

“We have not caught the Goblin yet, and, despite my hunch that Osborn is involved in this, I don't yet have physical proof to present to the FBI. So until that threat is dealt with, I am not letting you leave my side. I am not going to lose you, end of story,” Tony said, his tone leaving no room for arguments.

It was clear May’s death had triggered every parental alarm in his body. Hence why he had taken to dropping Peter off personally at school, had moved around his schedule to only travel weekends in order to bring Peter along with him. And, of course, he had actually scheduled in a lot of time with Peter - from movie nights to workshop weekends. He had tried to make it look casual, bless him, by inviting over Rhodey and by allowing Peter’s friends to drop by a lot. Harley would have shown up even without Tony’s permission, so at least that had been completely unplanned. Still, it had not escaped Peter’s notice that Tony was trying extra hard both to keep him nearby and to keep him distracted. 

Perhaps it was because that was the way Tony dealt with death; by not thinking about it, by inventing new things and dealing with the issues that he could fix. 

“I know you want time alone with your friends,” Tony said, as if reading his mind. “And I promise, you’ll have it. You won’t even know I am around. I just… have a bad feeling about this trip,” Tony admitted quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Peter frowned, looking concerned. “Why?Do you think he’ll show up?” 

“Peter, you will be out of the state, without me watching you like a hawk. Do you think he would pass up such a clear opportunity? He almost killed you last time. He will be looking to finish the job, and the best time to attack is when you are alone.” 

Peter bit his lip. “But how would he know I am there?” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “He knows your identity Peter. If he has watched the news at all in the past year and change, he’ll know you were at the decathlon last year. You saved your friends from falling to their death, remember? Spiderman was in the headlines for weeks. He’s not an idiot, he’ll know how to put two and two together.” 

Peter paled slightly, clearly not having considered any of that. “Should I stay behind?”

Tony shook his head. “You’re not going to stop living your life because of this jackass. Go, and have fun, and let me worry about him. If he comes for you, I will catch him.”

Peter raised his brow, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Am I gonna be bait, then?” 

Tony scrunched his nose. “Well no, that’s not the intention, but If he comes then, yeah, I guess that will be your role.” 

Peter hesitated, that familiar anger against his aunt’s murderer flaring up inside of him as strong and all consuming as when it had first ignited when he had held her dead body against his. It was an anger that made him want to tear the man apart, made him want to make the goblin suffer as much as Peter had suffered. “If he comes for me, can I help you?”   

Tony eyed him uneasily, clearly wanting to say no. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he started, which elicited a sigh from the younger man. “Look, I am not going to say no, you can’t help, but I am not going to promise anything either, okay? We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Your priority is to keep yourself and your friends safe, okay?” 

Peter did not answer.

* * *

“Guess what I brought,” Ned said, his giddy excitement making Peter smile and sit up. 

“I dunno, gummies?” 

“No, but that definitely would have been a good idea,” Ned said wistfully. “Maybe MJ brought some. I know she was going to bring trash food.” 

Peter frowned. “But she eats like, super healthy food,” he reasoned, remembering the last time they had gone on a date they had gone to a vegan restaurant she wanted to try.

The thought made his heart twist painfully in his chest. They had not gone out since even before May’s death. It wasn’t that they didn’t like each other, because he  _ definitely  _ liked her. It was more that… well they didn’t have time. Back then he had been trying to juggle school, spiderman duties, spending time with May and Tony and Ned, as well as MJ. It had been easier to just lump her together on the days he hung out with Ned.

She had never complained, nor had she pulled away, but he was starting to feel guilty about his behavior. She always made time for him, but he never did that for her. He needed to be better. May would have wanted him to be better. They had never defined their relationship as anything more than friendship. There had been one single kiss in a dark cinema, but Peter knew they could do better. 

He would have to talk to her, ask her out again, and see where things went. Maybe he would even talk to Harley. While the boy was younger than even Peter, he knew a hell of a lot about a wide array of subjects. Peter wouldn’t have been surprised if he knew a lot about relationships too. 

“Peter someone is trying to hack into the Hotel’s security cameras network. I have informed Mr. Stark and he’s on his way. I would recommend you put on your suit,” Friday chirped up loudly from somewhere in the room.

That was enough to bring Peter back to reality. He jumped up on the bed at the sudden noise, his eyes going everywhere. “Fry? What the hell? How… Where are you?!” 

“Put on your suit, Pete,” Ned insisted as he half ran towards his computer. “Um, Ms. Friday, could you give me access to the network from my computer? I can try to stop him.”

“I am already in, Mr. Leeds. I am in the process of tracking down the signal of the hacker. We’ll be able to pinpoint a location.” 

“Or a company,” Peter whispered, mostly to himself, as he remembered how much Tony had spoken about Osborn ever since the Goblin had appeared.

He continued dressing without giving much thought to where he was throwing his clothes, his mind elsewhere. A part of him didn’t want to believe it. He couldn’t fully accept the fact that the man whom his aunt had considered a dear friend would be capable of killing her. He couldn’t process that level of depravity. It was foreign to him. And yet, another part of him knew it to be true; it was just his luck that every major enemy he made were people that were either close to him personally or close to those he cared for. 

Peter whipped his head around, hearing the unmistakable sound of the Goblin’s flying skateboard. “Duck!” Peter screamed as he picked up his mask and then threw himself at Ned, pushing them both stumbling out of the room just as a small pumpkin-looking thing broke through the window. 

The room they had been in was filled with a green gas not three seconds later. 

Peter scrambled to his feet and helped Ned get back up, standing in front of his friend as a human shield - not that that would stop the Goblin. “Ned, run!” Peter urged, throwing a pair of web strings at the bottom of the flying board to impulse himself up, narrowly missing the Goblin’s face with his foot. 

The man growled, circling around Peter. “A half-assed kick won’t be enough to save you, boy,” he snared. “Did you really think you could run from me, Peter Parker?” 

Before Peter could answer, or even tell Ned to run again because his idiot, loyal friend had not moved an inch, part of the ceiling came crashing down and a red and gold blurr passed Peter by on its way to the goblin. Tony threw a flying kick that landed square in the man’s chest, sending him crashing into the smoke filled room. 

“It’s not Halloween, pumpkin man.” Tony raised a beaming hand. “Also, you picked the wrong kid to mess with. No one touches my son,” He growled, his voice as cold as the siberian base he had been left in almost two years back. 

The goblin’s laughter echoed as he slowly stood up and climbed out the window. “I was wondering when you’d show up, Mr. Stark,” he said jovially. “I’ve been looking for an excuse to kill you.” 

“Well considering my company has consistently beaten yours since the time of your father, I would say this isn’t your main reason,” Tony said sarcastically, before slightly turning to the side. “Peter you and Ned need to get out of here.” 

“Tony you said I could-”

“The building needs to be evacuated,” Tony interrupted Peter, his voice harsh and demanding. “There’s people’s lives at risk here, Peter. Take Ned and clear the whole building.  _ Now.”  _

Peter knew better than to argue. He grabbed Ned’s hand and pulled him down the hallway, “Go to the lobby and get management to call the rooms. I am going to start knocking on doors. Get MJ if you can, we have to get everyone out.” 

Ned nodded, his body going on auto mode as he ran to the elevator, distantly wondering whether the elevator was the best idea when two overpowered beings were so near them about to fight. He just hoped he and Peter could get everyone out in time.

He ran into MJ at the lobby. The girl had been sitting crosslegged by the front door, watching the cars go by, and the city lights blink against the dark night sky. She raised a brow when she saw him run towards her, clearly looking distressed. 

"If you broke something upstairs-"

"It's the Goblin, he's here," Ned interrupted her, offering her hand to help her get up. "Mr. Stark is here. He said we need to evacuate everyone." 

Both of them looked up as they heard a window breaking and the unmistakable sound of thrusters and metal against metal. It had begun. 

"Right, I will go get everyone in our class, you get the receptionist to start calling rooms. People are going to come out in a stampede. They need to start opening the doors," MJ said, mostly speaking to herself by the end, formulating ways of getting everyone out. Suddenly she froze. "Where's Peter?" 

"Upstairs, helping people out of here," Ned assured her before running to the receptionist to explain the situation without giving away too much information. 

MJ bit her lip as she ran up the stairs to the floor they were staying in. They definitely should not have come back to Washington. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was meant to be longer, but my schedule is too hectic at the moment. So it would have taken me too long to write the rest, and you've been waiting long enough. That means next chapter will be a lot longer, though that one might take some time. 
> 
> Anyway I hope you are enjoying it!


	22. Baby Flight mode

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "My family is my strength and my weakness."   
> \- Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Ned kept running from one side of the hotel to the other, helping everyone that he saw coming out of the emergency stairs. He was pretty sure half of them were being sent this way by Peter, if their mutters were anything to go by.

MJ had taken over evacuating their class, using her own brand of order to guide them to safety once Ned had become a bit overwhelmed. It involved mainly calling people by numbers instead of names from what Ned could tell. He wasn't sure how people actually remembered their numbers, but he assumed in a way it was simpler to call a number than to try to remember someone's name, so he couldn't exactly judge his friend. 

Once he was sure - relatively, but honestly wasn't everything? - that everyone was safe outside, he grabbed MJ by the hand and ran outside, feeling his heart hammer louder in his chest when he noticed that Spiderman was nowhere to be seen. He hoped his friend hadn’t gone back inside to fight the Goblin. Tony would be furious if he did, especially after he had already told Peter to help evacuate and then stay out of it. 

“Eight, nine… wait, everyone stop yelling! Where is Peter?” Their teacher half screeched, horror in her eyes. “MJ, stay in charge of the group I have to go get-”

“Peter is not in the building,” Ned blurted out, not wanting his teacher to get himself in the line of fire. Even if Peter was fighting the goblin, their teacher didn’t need to know that, and Peter’s powers provided him with protection no one else had. 

Mr. Johnson turned to face Ned, an annoyed frown on his face. “He’s not here Ned, so he obviously is still inside.” 

“No he’s not, he went to the store,” MJ said as she stepped un next to Ned, keeping her voice cool. “He’s fine Mr. Johnson, I can text him and let him know we are going somewhere else.” 

“I cannot leave a child behind! He shouldn’t have gone to the store without my permission. This is a school trip! We have to go get him, now.” 

“Sir, I am pretty sure he is safer than all of us, I mean Mr. Hogan - Mr. Stark’s head of security - is probably picking him up as we speak,” MJ pushed, looking at Ned. “We can call him to confirm if you want. I mean Iron Man is  _ inside _ the building, he obviously knows his kid is safe.” 

Mr. Johnson didn’t seem fully convinced. “Why was he at the store?” 

Ned panicked, clearly trying and failing to come up with an excuse. This is why he hated lying. 

“I asked him to go buy condoms,” MJ said suddenly, forcing a blush down. 

Mr. Johnson raised a brow but did not comment, suddenly blushing himself. 

“Can we please go now?” Ned squeaked out, guiltily thankful when he heard an explosion coming from somewhere behind him that finally reminded everyone that they had better things to do other than stand around talking about MJ’s - made up - sex life.

The teacher nodded numbly and hurried the kids to get onto the bus. Ned and MJ were the last to get in, both looking worriedly behind him. They hoped Peter wouldn't get hurt, or Tony for that matter. The boy wouldn't be able to take that, not after his aunt's death. 

* * *

Peter went floor by floor checking that every room was empty of both people and pets. 

He was glad he was wearing his suit, which allowed him to use his superhuman abilities without raising suspicions due to the anonymity it provided. He could run faster than everyone else, and, more importantly he could hear into every room on any given floor to make sure he wasn’t leaving people behind without having to knock on every door. 

He had never been more thankful for his enhanced senses. More often than not, they were just a nuisance he had to struggle to control in his daily life. But right now it meant he could finish this quickly; it meant he could help Tony take this asshole down. 

He rushed to the stairs, and whined internally as he looked at the sheer number of stairs. He was, however, glad that the stairs were structured in a square, allowing him to shoot his webs to the top. He propelled himself forward hard, breaking the web once he reached his own floor. He pushed past the door and ran down the left hallway, His heart dropping as he heard the sound of metal crashing against concrete. The fear receded however, when he saw Tony flying proud and tall over the room he had thrown the Goblin in. Unfortunately, that’s when the Goblin decided to get up and, using his slider as his weapon, pushed Tony hard against the opposite wall, breaking it in the process with Tony’s suit covered back. Tony, never one to stay down, began firing rapid-fire beams at the green skinned asshole holding him down by the chest as flashbacks of Siberia ran through his mind. 

The goblin grunted in pain and moved away when one of the beams hit him, burning the skin on his arm beyond repair, he was sure. 

“Tony!” Peter called out as he ran closer, using his webs to impulse himself forward to kick the goblin in the face. The enraged man used Peter’s actions against him, however, when he grabbed Peter’s other leg before he could get away. He brought out one of his boomerangs and slashed through the boy’s chest, cutting right through the suit and into Peter’s skin. 

Tony watched all of this as if underwater, his instincts screaming at him to get his kid out. If this asshole had weaponry refined enough to cut through the Spiderman suit, then his son was not safe. He flew to peter’s side, seeing the dark glint of one of the Goblin’s low intensity bombs in the man’s hands. Tony felt bile rise in his throat as he grabbed Peter’s hand and threw him as far as he could down the hallway as he turned and launched his own shield to keep the bomb from destroying the hallway. 

He cursed himself at the fact that he had decided to bring with him the suit prototype as opposed to one of his old suits. While this suit would one day be the future - nanotechnology was cutting edge after all - it wasn’t what he needed right now. He had just started developing this a month ago, there was still much to solve and augment in this suit, which made him feel precariously unprepared for the fight. He had thought the suit was almost there, now he realized he still had much work to do on it, much he could improve so that next fight he would be impenetrable. 

The Goblin growled, frustrated at the fact that Tony had been able to keep his bomb from doing any structural damage to the building. Tony could see the man would not rest until the building came down around them which just made him angrier. He propelled himself forward and grabbed the asshole by the lapels of his clothes, thrusting them up and breaking the ceiling in the process. He punched the goblin as he flew up, his anger building with every floor they went through. He could Friday informing him to be careful as Peter was climbing in right behind them, but, in that moment, he did not care. He wanted to hurt the Goblin, wanted to make him bleed, wanted to make him feel an ounce of the pain he had made Peter feel. 

“You fucking…. Dimwitted asshole! You knew them!” Tony roared as he landed some floors up, still punching the Goblin in the face. “You knew May and you fucking killed her! What was the point, huh?” He asked desperately, never once letting up on the violence.”Trying to grab the spotlight?” Norman grunted but did not respond, clicking something on his right hand that suddenly glowed green. “You are a worthless motherfuker who destroyed my kid’s life, for no fucking reason. I swear to you,  _ Osborn, _ I’ll make sure you rot in prison for the rest of your miserable life.”

“Sir, a countdown has been activated inside the building. 30 seconds to-”

Tony did not need her to finish, his mind already thirty steps ahead of his AI. The building was going to come down, no matter what he did. People were far enough away, which left only the goblin, Peter, and himself inside. Peter had confided in him about his trauma with the vulture. He could not let his son be buried under debris and concrete ever again. Peter would not be able to handle it, especially since his senses were still a little haywire since May’s death. More importantly, he couldn’t guarantee Peter’s survival if the building fell on top of him.

Really the decision was the easiest one he had made in is life. 

“Friday, perform parental override and activate baby flight mode 65,” Tony interrupted her, as he released a clamp from his suit and grabbed the Goblin by his neck, pinning him to the building.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Peter’s suit glowed red and then white as it moved of its own accord, flinging the boy out of the nearest window and then activating a pseudo parachute to help him land a safe distance away. Peter tried to fight the suit every step of the way, but the suit was stronger than him. It was meant to override him; Tony’s last update, most likely. 

He loved Peter, but he knew the boy was not good at listening, especially not when it came to his own safety. Thus, Tony had installed something that would ensure he had the last word. He would keep Peter safe no matter the cost.

“Karen let me go I have to go help-”

“I’m sorry Peter, Friday has overridden my system I can’t-”

Her words were drowned out completely as the building exploded, coming down one floor a second, with Tony and the Goblin still inside.

“NO, TONY!” Peter screamed as he felt his heart fly out his body, his knees giving out underneath him as the suit fought to keep him back from running into the now falling building. “Tony? Tony where are you?” Peter said, mostly to himself, though he was very much aware his comms were connected to the man’s helmet. 

But Tony wasn’t answering, and Friday wasn’t telling him anything.

Flashes of May’s funeral crossed through his mind, and something deep inside Peter told him that he would not survive if Tony died too. May had been his only family for years, and Peter had protected himself by making sure he didn’t let anyone else in as deep as May. But somehow Tony had gotten past his traumas and his insecurities, and wasn’t it hilarious to realise this now, when the man was being crushed by the weight of an entire building?

Wasn’t it hilarious to think that Peter just now realized that Tony was the one person left in this world he could  _ not  _ lose?

A soft sob escaped his lips and he trembled, firmly shutting his eyes. “FRIDAY, please… you have to let me get him out of there. Is he alive? Please he has to be alive.”

“He’s alive Peter, but he won’t be able to hold on much longer, the suit is crushing him,” She admitted, her voice full of sorrow. “I have contacted Vision he is on his way.” 

“FRIDAY, he won’t get here in time you need to let me get him!” Peter raged as he continued to fight against the suit. 

“I am sorry, Peter, but I can’t do that,” she said, and she truly sounded sorry. “Sir’s protocol dictates that I must keep you safe and away from danger, even if it means-”

“Don’t you  _ dare _ say  it-” Peter snarled. “Karen, can you still place calls?” Peter asked as he stood back up, knowing that was as much as FRIDAY would allow him. 

“Yes, Peter, who do you need me to call?” 

“Call Ned and Harley,  _ now,”  _ Peter said, feeling himself shake in worry as he knew the more time that passed, the lower the odds of getting Tony out alive. 

“Peter are you okay?” Harley was the first to answer the phone, the TV already on in his room reporting the news. “They’re saying-”

“Harley stop talking! Tony is in danger, and I need you to help me quickly. He set up a program to let FRIDAY override the suit. You need to override her, Harley. You need to do it now, or I can’t get to him and he’ll die.” 

Harley took in a shaky breath, running towards his desk to turn his computer on. “Peter, I don’t know if I can hack into FRIDAY or eve to the command center. This is Tony we are talking about; he’s the one that hacked into the pentagon when he was like five,” Harley babbled, sounding distressed. 

“Harley you  _ have to, _ ” Peter insisted, sounding desperate. “I can’t lose him, please.” 

Harley immediately went to work, sending up a prayer in thanks for the fact that Tony had allowed him to be there last time he had updated FRIDAY. He knew how her system worked. He knew what he was looking for. The problem was getting through Tony’s security. The man had an uncrackable system. “Peter, this is useless, I can’t- Oh my god,”Suddenly he sucked in a breath. “Peter, did Tony ever give you a code, or a card, or something after the adoption? Something that gave you access to the company and stuff like that as his son?”

“Uh, yeah I think so? I mean he added me to his security’s mainframe, and into FRIDAY’s system, which is what controls everything else. But I can’t override her Harley.” 

“Yes, you can,” Harley said suddenly as he turned on his second computer and began opening a  myriad of files on the first. “Peter, If Tony is dead, then you are the de-facto heir.”

Peter wanted to scream. “Harley Tony is  _ not-” _

_ “ _ I am not saying he is!” Harley snapped, just as on edge as the other kid. “We just need the system to think it long enough for FRIDAY to switch primary command over to you. It is much easier to hack into that filing system than trying to hack into FRIDAY. Just… give me a minute.” 

Peter tapped his foot impatiently, his heart going a mile a minute as Harley worked against the clock. “Fucking firewalls,” Harley muttered under his breath as he opened a third computer as the other two began running through Tony’s system. 

“Harley, you need to hurry,” Peter said, frustrated. 

“I am going as fast as I can, it’s not that simple Peter. I don’t want to take down the whole SI system just to make it seem like he’s dead. We only need the failsafe to be triggered for FRIDAY, otherwise we’ll cause a pandemonium.” 

“Harley-”

“Done,” Harley said suddenly, his voice full of relief.

“How do we know if it worked?” Peter asked quickly as he chewed on his lip. 

“Give her an order and she if she obeys,” Harley said, wanting to brain himself against his computer. Peter was generally very smart, but when people close to him were in danger it felt like talking to a brick wall

“Ah yes, right of course. FRIDAY? You there?” 

“Yes, Mr. Stark, how may I be of assistance?” FRIDAY said, her tone neutral. Of course, she knew what they were doing, she understood the information being transmitted into her system was wrong. Her master wasn’t dead, but the mechanisms he had set in place had already been triggered without her having to make a choice, and she was thankful for that. All she could see form the information provided by the system was that the young Peter Benjamin Parker - now also Stark - was in control of SI and her mainframe. 

“Don’t call me that. I’m not Tony,” Peter pleaded as nausea rose in his throat. “Disengage baby flight mode 65. Give Karen control of the suit again, please.” 

“Of course sir,” She said softly, happily even, as the suit shone blue again.

“Oh my god, Harley, you are a genius and I love you. I will talk to you later. Karen disconnect the call,” Peter instructed, feeling relief wash over him. 

“ok ok I have the suit back. I just have to get him out of there and… fuck how do I get him out of there? Karen, you gotta help me. What do I do?” Peter said, once again starting to panic.

“Activating instant kill,” Karen said, her voice as sweet as always. 

Peter gaped “Instant… Karen we’re not gonna kill anybody! why would you activate-” 

“Statistically this is the combination of the suit with the highest chances to help you get Mr. Stark out alive,” Karen explained softly. 

“Fuck, okay, but we’re not killing anyone ok?” Peter said as he began running towards the building. 

“Of course, Peter.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so damn long to publish the chapter, live is just crazy. I will update the ironstrange fic next, but hopefully after that I can get back to this one to upload the last 2 chapters.

**Author's Note:**

> Homecoming gave me all the dad feels so, even though I should be working towards finishing my post cw fic, I wanted to post this chapter first. I won't be delving much into the accords on this fic, as I already did that on my post cw fic, and this fic is really more about tony and peter than anything else. I'm very very excited to share this story with you all. My deepest thanks to my dear friend Nina, without whom this story, and really any story of mine, would not be happening. You are my creative light, my dear and I hope you enjoy it.


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